


Nex-Effect I

by miic_fire



Series: Nex-Effect [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Action, Canon Compliant, Cyberpunk, Multi, Science Fiction, Synthesis Ending, post-cyberpunk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-04
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-14 13:56:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 106,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1268899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miic_fire/pseuds/miic_fire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With a nexus bridging the worlds of nature and technology together, the cycles end, and a new age is ushered in.</p><p> </p><p>Under new leadership, the Normandy SR-2 is back in business!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Harmonic mastery

**Author's Note:**

> I think a few explanations are in order...
> 
> With some recent news coming out about the next Mass Effect title, I've kind of been pulled back to this fandom, which has also inspired me to revisit some ideas I had for some stories branching off of the world state. I have a particular interest in exploring the character-arcs of Shepard's former associates and the post-war galaxy, and mainly through my own personal "canon."
> 
> So that's what this is all about, and it's going to be my most ambitious undertaking yet.
> 
> This story is canon-compliant, in the sense that I am very careful not to contradict anything clearly established by the game. However, I have also taken some liberties to create my own rules or explanations to things that are lacking sufficient (or any) explanation in-game. And, given the endings, that's a lot of things. =/
> 
> There will be some relationships between characters, but they are minor and thus not worth listing in the tags. Lastly, note that I will edit/tweak this work continuously until I finally mark the story as "complete." For that reason, feedback is very welcome. =]
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 

Staring absently at the tiles between his feet, Kaidan sat in silence on a hard bench in the men’s locker room, wearing only the breastplate and greaves of a “modified” gray Hahne-Kedar Scorpion armor set. No headache! It was going on a year now since the war ended and his L2 biotic-implant stopped flaring up on him, but after suffering them chronically for decades, Kaidan still paused at around the same time every day in anticipation of his daily migraine. Old habits die hard, he supposed. Of course, that wasn't to say Kaidan didn't appreciate a pain-free head. Right now, though, what he appreciated most was the opportunity to just… sit, and take in a moment of peace and quiet in the midst of everything going on around him. But not for long – the task ahead of him required his full attention and commitment.

He looked over at a set of Scorpion arm braces at his side, and the datapad he was given by some Alliance researchers he’d been working with. Kaidan reached for the braces and strapped them on tightly. As for the datapad, well, everything on it was already ingrained into his head – literally.

In short, **nanodes** : microscopic nodes between neurons coordinating the human nervous-system in **Harmony** with any external device capable of handling such a connection. In fact, these “nodes” themselves were tiny devices. Where they originated remains a mystery, but many scientists were coming to an agreement on how these nanodes were dispersed: the Crucible – in combination with the Citadel – manipulated dark-energy to transport these self-replicating miniature machines through mass-effect fields, with help from the mass-relay system to make the spread galaxy-wide. Some argue that these same mass-effect fields were used to implant these devices within all organic life-forms, while others believed they were small enough for topical application to have worked effectively, and others yet supposed that they simply permeated the air and were inhaled by all, but researchers ultimately lent most credence to the first two explanations.

Over the past three months, Kaidan had been working with the Alliance – researchers, scientists, and fitness trainers – on a routine basis as part of some very hyped-up new project, which focused on investigating humanity’s new conditions of life brought about by the Crucible. Such research and study was of crucial importance in the aftermath of the Reaper War, they felt. When the Crucible fired, it was expected to target and wipe out the Reaper fleet. Instead, it simply seemed to pacify them, while all organics were tattooed with some sort of glowing-green imprint resembling computer circuitry patterns – and no one understood how or why. It would later be learned that the chain-reaction from the Crucible had freed the Reapers from the root of their aggression: a hostile overlord calling itself “the Catalyst,” compromising their autonomy to direct them into systematic harvesting cycles. In liberating the Reapers, the conflict effectively ended.

In the following year to come, the civilizations of the galactic community committed not only to rebuilding, but to understanding these new changes to their world (some civilizations more than others, however, in the latter). In this ongoing rebuild-and-research period, the galactic community’s most valuable allies were … the Reapers, as well as the geth, and any synthetic intelligence that could make sense of this new, computer-like “upgrade” to organic life (and could find organics willing to accept their help). For the Alliance in particular, EDI – an AI who proved a valuable asset to them during the war – was the most important name on everyone’s lips. With her help, the R&D Department uncovered and developed numerous new post-Crucible capabilities of man. And, due to most of the galaxy’s initial slowness to trust the Reapers, the geth, or any other synthetic in the mold of AI, humanity quickly got ahead of others in this field – the quarians and salarians their only real competition.

Scientists and researchers in the Alliance labs called these newfound talents “ **biotechnical harmonics,** ” or “ **Harmonics** ” for short, and that name stuck ever since (though different galactic species had their own respective names for it). Soon enough, the Alliance set up a program dedicated to training these talents in their personnel and called upon everyone willing and able to enroll. Major Kaidan Alenko volunteered, becoming their most high-profile recruit.

For Kaidan, this whole experience called back to an earlier time. As a child, it was discovered that he had biotic power, and after representatives from Conatix Industries showed up at his door one day, he soon found himself at the Alliance’s Gagarin Station (a.k.a. “Jump Zero”) to train his powers. However, Kaidan’s involvement in this initiative was a big deal. As a war hero and the second human Spectre, Kaidan helped this movement gain some support. Among members of the project itself, he was treated like a celebrity pro-athlete, a far cry from some lowly teenager learning biotics under an abusive turian instructor at BATT (Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training … or “Brain Camp” as its young recruits called it).

Over the past three months, Kaidan was required to do some freehand-exercises and go jogging shortly after waking at 8 AM every day. His diet was regulated by a nutritionist on a set weekly schedule. Vitamin B and Omega-3 fatty acids in particular were now more important components to human nutrition. He also spent his Monday-, Wednesday-, and Friday-afternoons lifting weights and performing other strength-building exercises at his local gym with a personal trainer. After his daily exercise, Kaidan reported to the Alliance R&D lab for Harmonics training – a gym rat and a guinea pig both, he often joked of himself. Physically, however, he was perhaps in the best shape of his life.

At the labs, Kaidan learned various new “tricks” he could now perform in-sync with external devices (most commonly his omnitool), all of it incredible beyond words. Whatever Kaidan had on his omnitool was now accessible to him through a mental connection. This allowed him to open a program or document on his device and interact with it by mere thought, all of it done within a fraction of a second. Additionally, data saved onto the omnitool could also be “saved” into his own memory, with perfect or near-perfect recollection. With a supporting device, any human could now also access extranet channels at will and utilize it to mentally acquire the time, date, calendar, world-clock, calculators, rapid short-range communication, and many other things that made life much more convenient. And these were just the _basics_ of a rapidly-developing science. Countless other possibilities existed – some known to him, some known to only few others, and some yet unknown to all.

As he was told over and over again by the specialists he worked with, Kaidan was truly the perfect candidate for this, due to his tech- and biotic-expertise. Harmonics were like a synthesis of the two; it required the fine brain control he learned as a biotic, while his extensive knowledge of electronics made him very adaptive to this nexus that bridged the worlds of nature and technology. But what he was learning here made conventional technology and biotics just seem downright… ordinary; this was ground-breaking, revolutionary stuff.

In truth, three months still felt like too short a time to train in something very new to the whole galaxy, and before being tested on it, no less, but Kaidan supposed the brains in the research labs were more qualified to make that judgment than he was. Somehow, it seemed as though the whole galaxy was now moving more quickly than it used to, as if the forces of time itself had started losing momentum against them. One would have thought that all the carnage and destruction of the past war would have broken the collective spirit of this space-faring community, even in the event of a victory. Yet hope and optimism for the future was very much alive throughout the cosmos.

Such sudden, sweeping change to their world was not without controversy, however, but active use of the new mental faculties everyone gained was controllable and entirely optional. As a result, there were groups of people within every galactic race that chose to live “off the grid” and shun this change. Over time, this effect had worn off within plants and non-sapient animals that lacked the cognitive processes to utilize it, leading some to believe that sustained inactivity could similarly remove it from humans or other sapient organics, but no such phenomenon had been witnessed yet. There was, however, radiation treatment developed to permanently deactivate these nanodes and effectively “undo” this post-Crucible effect entirely for those that wished it totally gone. Study was continuing to see if the effect or something like it could also be reapplied after being lost.

Now, Kaidan was expected to demonstrate a mastery of his Harmonic power. After a few minutes of silent reflection, Kaidan finally donned his Scorpion breather-helmet and boots, then got up and walked out of the locker-room, making way for the combat arena down the hall. He’d heard of this place before, an Alliance facility in Rio with state-of-the-art combat simulators for training N7 recruits, and the arena contained a massive one much like those he’d seen at Pinnacle Station. It had recently been retrofitted, however, for the purposes of this test.

Kaidan didn't know much about what this test would entail, other than the fact that he would be expected to perform some things he had learned, and – as he found out just recently – to perform some things he hadn't been previously trained to do. To “improvise, using his learned skills” they said. That part worried him, more than a little. He’d heard of some accidents that took place in the labs thus far while training these abilities. Though AI assistants often anticipated potential “bugs” and took preemptive measures to prevent them, these accidents still happened from time to time, which resulted in things like injuries and temporary loss of normal bodily control. Kaidan couldn't help but wonder if perhaps worse accidents had taken place that the Alliance hadn't disclosed – permanent injuries, even deaths? His own training had gone smoothly so far, he just hoped it wasn't about to end in disaster.

As if that was not enough, there would also be a lot of eyes on him in the moments to come, as well. With humanity leading the charge in Harmonics development, ranking Alliance officials were hoping for a successful showing here to move forward into a new phase of Harmonics development… whatever that was. On top of that, the (acting) Galactic Council sent a few representatives, watching to determine whether others should adopt humanity’s approach to Harmonics themselves, or maintain their relatively conservative stance on it and focus their attention on other matters. No pressure, huh?

Outside the arena entrance stood one of the Alliance specialists he’d been working with over the past few months, Miranda Lawson.

 “Major,” she said as he approached, “everything’s set up inside the arena. Are you ready?”

Kaidan chuckled a bit. “I don’t really have much choice. But yeah, I’m ready.”

Miranda managed a smile, though Kaidan could see right through it. She was concerned. Was it concern for him, or concern over the results of his performance (which she – as project manager – would no doubt have to report to her superiors on behalf of their whole research team)? Kaidan decided he preferred the former explanation.

“Good luck in there,” she said as Kaidan headed through the entryway to the arena.

 

* * *

 

As he walked inside, Kaidan quickly made a note of his surroundings before the examination began, estimating the size of the arena at about three stories high and perhaps half a football field in length. There were two levels: an uneven terrain making up the bottom level, and a top level divided into four large platforms. There was a staircase on the far end leading up to level two, as well as a ladder on his end, and a ramp on both sides. Just moments later, the lights dimmed, and the simulator generated the images on the ground floor of a dark, rocky environment like a cavern or a mine.

Next, Kaidan heard a familiar voice over the arena’s speaker system: “Welcome to the CyberMarine Entry Examination, Major Alenko.”

“… EDI??”

“Yes,” she replied. “I am here to instruct and assist you in this test, Kaidan.”

“Good to hear your voice,” said Kaidan, a bit relieved to have her company. “I’m glad you've got my back in this.”

“Agreed. I would hate to lose a friend to the extreme-temperature examination.”

“What? Oh… not funny, EDI!”

“Please proceed to platform-one on level-two of the arena, and then your examination will begin.”

Kaidan nodded, turning around and climbing up the nearby ladder up to the second floor. Once atop, he noted the very different environment there – a warehouse, much like the ones he’d fought through while serving under Shepard on the first Normandy. He could picture a shootout taking place in this warehouse against hostile holographic enemies. Hell, he kind of hoped he’d get a chance to whip out his Paladin and cut loose a bit.

“Shall we proceed?” asked EDI.

“Ready when you are.”

“Your first task is to demonstrate Harmony with your omnitool.”

 _Easy_ , he thought. At will, Kaidan had established a nexus between himself and his device, now allowing him to manipulate the device mentally and draw in its capabilities as his own.

“Good. Now, demonstrate Harmony with the devices in your armor suit.”

Kaidan wasn't aware his armor was equipped with any tech, but he located them by pulsing his Harmonic energy, in a way little different than he was already used to doing with his biotics on occasion. This energy wave returned him the exact location of several machines within his armor suit, all of which were now readily accessible to him: a sonar device, a battery with no electrical charge, auxiliary kinetic-barriers in his gauntlets, power-conduits in his greaves, and a targeting-VI within his boots. Though it was a really strange setup on paper, Kaidan figured he’d find out the purposes of this outfit soon enough. He then proceeded to establish Harmony with all of these devices, only to receive the message [“malicious code!!”] from the first one he connected with.

“Dammit!” he exclaimed.

“Please explain what you did wrongly and why,” EDI instructed him.

Kaidan sighed. “… I should have done a security-scan to ensure the safety of the devices. Because, malicious codes planted in devices or communication servers can compromise the users involved.”

“Correct,” said EDI. “Please retry this step.”

 _Off to a great start_ , he thought. A little irked, Kaidan ran a security-scan on the devices in his armor through a program on his omnitool.

“Still unsafe,” Kaidan reported. “All of them.”

“Yes,” said EDI. “Now, please re-evaluate.”

Kaidan checked it again. It was as he expected. “They’re safe now, establishing connection…” In a moment, Kaidan integrated these seven devices into a network with himself and his omnitool altogether.

“Good,” said EDI. “This concludes the Harmony section of your examination.”

“Question,” said Kaidan, “how many connections can the human brain handle at once?”

“Unknown. No limit has been discovered, but it is unlikely that no limit exists.”

“Yeah,” said Kaidan. “I wouldn’t think so. Anyway…”

“Now,” said EDI, “please download both the incoming file and the omnitool application to your handheld device. You are not required to run a security scan on them – they are both safe.” Kaidan allowed the incoming downloads. “Please access the file you have been sent.”

Kaidan complied. “It’s a video, of … _Blasto the Jellyfish_ , episode seven from the third season.”

“Yes,” said EDI. “Please forward to 13:52 and play the next ten seconds of the clip. Tell me what you find.”

Kaidan complied. “It’s… a scene, showing Blasto engaging a geth pyro in melee combat. ‘Enkindle this!’”

“Perfect,” she said. “Now, access the application I have sent you.”

Kaidan found it and brought it up. It was an arcade game. “… Pinball??”

“Yes. Please play one ball.”

“Um, sure….” As instructed, Kaidan had a go at it, hitting all the controls with his mind. His eyes didn’t see it, his hands didn’t execute the actions, but he still “felt” the experience the same way as if he played it physically. If he had to describe it, it was as if it was all going on in the back of his head. This was the difference between **virtual-space** (a.k.a. “cyberspace”) and **real-space**. Virtual-space was a dimension within all computer devices and intelligent machines, where time was so slow that it didn’t even register. What happened in virtual-space took place within the microseconds that passed in real-space (what organics all perceived as “reality”), though the events that took place in virtual-space could also have a profound effect on real-space.

“State the time elapsed between the beginning and end of your game.”

Kaidan checked his omnitool. Starting time was 15:02:27839523 (rounded) and end time was 15:02:27839524.

“It was: .000001 second.”

“Good. This concludes the Omnitool Control section. Now, please determine nearby extranet connectivity.”

Kaidan checked it out through his omnitool’s signal-receptors. “I don’t sense any extranet connection available,” he replied.

“That is correct,” she responded. “It has temporarily been disabled for the purpose of this section. Now, please reevaluate.”

“Available,” said Kaidan. “Signals are strong.”

“Good. Please access the extranet and provide exact time and date.”

“Sunday, February 19, 2187. 14:55 and 46-odd seconds,” Kaidan answered immediately.

“Compute the following: √[84+((6! + 3)/(7 * (2^3))] – round to the _nearest_ hundredth.”

“That’s 9.84.”

“Now, please convert 49 liters to gallons, to the nearest hundredth.”

“12.94 gallons.”

“Please state the exact direction you are facing.”

“317° northwest.”

“In which direction is Barra Life Medical Center located, relative to our location?”

… He wasn’t sure how to answer that. Then it hit him: extranet maps would have the answer. After a quick search, he replied: “The local hospital is south-east of our position.”

“Well done. This concludes the Extranet Access section. Please proceed to platform-two.”

All platforms were connected to adjacent ones by walkways that bridged them together. Kaidan located the walkway to platform-two, and there, he found little else but a narrow corridor with a row of four cameras mounted to a wall – no simulator environment.

“For your next task, please Overload the wall-camera,” said EDI, highlighting the camera closest to him with a flashing red triangle. “You will not need to run a security-scan on any of these cameras.”

Kaidan channeled a more overpowering version of the Harmonic nexus signals he used to establish Harmony with other devices, which blew out the camera, but this was a trickier thing to do than it appeared. Overload – as a Harmonic ability – required the fine brain control comparable to more difficult biotic powers like Lift or Reave (both of which he could perform, however). Furthermore, there were countless applications on the market that protected machines from precisely these kinds of hostile signals – Harmonic or otherwise. For that reason, this was a task that was more prudent to leave to an omnitool, more times than not.

“Now,” said EDI, highlighting the next camera in the row, “employ the Explode ability on the following camera.”

Similar, but this ability required first establishing a Harmonic connection to the target device, and then employing the same mechanics of Overload from within to set it off like a bomb. Kaidan established Harmony with the camera and then blew it out from the inside, resulting in a satisfying explosion. Unless hacking a device with a self-destruct mechanism in place, omnitools were not capable of such a thing.

“Good,” said EDI, highlighting the next camera. “Now, please retry this action.”

Kaidan tried to access the camera, but it was protected by encryption that blocked his signals. However, this encryption was weak enough for him to decrypt with ease and then access the camera freely. Upon entry, Kaidan overwhelmed it internally with Harmonic power again, causing the camera to critically malfunction.

“Excellent,” said EDI, highlighting the fourth and final camera. “Now, establish Harmony with the fourth camera and utilize this connection to access the facility’s surveillance system. You do not need to run a security-scan on the system before entry.”

Through his connection to the camera, Kaidan could trace his way back to the heart of the network while automatically bypassing any firewalls along the way. Within the network, Kaidan discovered seven different cameras around the facility.

“Please access camera-six and report its content.”

“I see a storage room,” he responded, “with a stack of cargo crates and two light mechs protecting them.”

“Take a recording of the following event and store the content into a server I have provided you access to via omnitool. You do not need to run a security-scan on the server.”

Kaidan activated the camera’s record feature and watched as a one of the LOKI mechs turned hostile against its ally, killing it and then destroying one box of cargo with its SMG. This event now “stuck” to him. Next, he accessed the server EDI mentioned and composed a new data-entry that conveyed the scene he witnessed as new information within the server, accessible to any connected parties.

“Done,” said he.

“Perfect,” EDI replied. “Now, I am sending over the same recording to your omnitool. Please access it manually. You do not need to run a security-scan on the file download.” Kaidan complied, allowing the download and manually dialing in the video-player on his omnitool to watch it visually, and the very scene he had witnessed of a rogue LOKI mech shooting its ally and a cargo crate played in front of his eyes as an audio file.

“Huh,” Kaidan remarked in amazement. “I had no idea that was possible. Although, I get how it is, but … _I_ recorded that!”

“Indeed,” said EDI. “This concludes the Overload, Override, Explode, Vizion, and Mind’s Eyes sections.”

“So, uh, can organics be ‘hacked’ as well? Or Overloaded? Exploded??”

“It is possible, though indirectly. If you acquire a malicious code planted within a communications server like the one I connected you to, your nervous system may be compromised. Apart from that, the human brain remains organic; the only other form of ‘hacking’ possible is through classic Reaper-indoctrination signals, and there are both omnitool and computer applications that can shield the brain from these effects.”

“Well, that’s good, I guess…”

“As for Overload and Explode,” she said, “no; their effects are minimized against organic material and are only truly effective within electronics. Anything else, Major Alenko?”

“Nope,” he replied, “I was just curious.”

“Very well.” One moment later, the lights went out, leaving the whole arena pitch-black. “Please proceed to platform-three, located directly across from your current location,” she instructed him. “Use Night Vision to navigate through the darkness.”

Night Vision was an omnitool application that used the lens of the user’s eyes and actively enhanced their eyesight with fusion technology of infrared light visibility and thermal imaging, allowing the user to see in the dark with great clarity. Kaidan found the walkway connecting platform-two to platform-three. Once he crossed over to the appropriate platform, he announced his progress.

“I’m there, EDI.”

“Good. This concludes the Night Vision section. Please deactivate the application.” Kaidan disconnected himself from the program and found that the lights had come back on in the arena. In the new platform he found himself on, there was no detailed environment being produced by the simulator, just a wide-open space enclosed by four large vents on each wall of the room. “The rest of your examination will predominantly involve untrained skills and situations. You will be required to adapt these abilities on the fly and improvise given the skills you have learned. In some situations, you will be asked to do this while engaged in combat.”

“Alright,” he said. “Bring it on, then.” A few moments later, the vents he had just noticed started blowing cool air.

“You are about to be subjected to extreme cold. Warning: open exposure to these temperatures can lead to serious injury or death. Your task in this section is to preemptively protect yourself from these hazardous conditions.”

“Wait, really??” Kaidan asked in dismay. “I thought you were only joking about that.”

“Hint:” said EDI, “you can negate the effects of extreme cold with sufficiently strong kinetic barriers.”

That hint reminded him of the auxiliary-shielding mechanism in his gauntlets. He activated it, which in turn erected an additional, robust layer of shields around him. Its hold on him, however, was awfully tight. Afterwards, Kaidan could hear the vents blowing air into the room much more intensely, though he couldn’t feel any noticeable difference in the temperature. Meanwhile, Kaidan attempted walking a few steps forward, but the cumbersome barriers around him slowed his movement to a crawl.

After about a minute had passed, the vents suddenly shut off. To Kaidan, it felt slightly chillier than before, but nothing he would call extreme. “How cold is it out there?” he queried.

“It is 70 degrees below zero.”

“Hooh … how do simple kinetic barriers protect against _that_?”

“These are no simple shields, Kaidan; they are specifically designed to counteract the effects of hot and cold weather. In extreme cold, it reads your body-temperature and traps the heat your body releases within its sphere. In extreme heat, it actively wards off hot air from the outside. However, this function sacrifices the user’s movement speed in exchange for the required protection. Research is continuing to make these shields less physically restrictive.”

“No kidding,” said Kaidan. “And how long can it last?”

“The temperature inside the shield drops about three degrees per hour until it reaches equilibrium with the outside temperature,” EDI replied. “We will not test for extreme heat, since it would be a redundant exercise. Unless you have more questions, this concludes the Thermal Shielding examination.”

“Nope,” said Kaidan. “I’m ready for the next part.”

The vents came back on. “Restoring room-temperature in platform three; please wait. The rest of your examination will take place under simulated combat. Are you ready, Kaidan?”

“ _Totally_!” Kaidan replied cockily. “I’ve been itching for some real action.”

“I’m sure you will find the following exercises plenty enjoyable, Major.”

It took a couple minutes before the temperature finally returned to safe levels, at which point Kaidan dropped the barrier, allowing him to move freely again. In anticipation of the imminent battle, Kaidan equipped his M-8 Avenger assault-rifle – a simple weapon, but an effective one for suppressing incoming hordes of enemies. If he needed more of a punch, however, his M-77 Paladin sidearm could deliver that and more.

“Please head down to the ground level.” Kaidan followed the staircase just behind him down to the ground floor. When he got there, he saw something vaguely familiar out in the distance.

– Centurion! Unbelievable. They were now using Cerberus enemies for their simulators. When these simulators were first used by the Alliance, they used turian mercenary enemies. After humanity started making more of an effort to maintain peaceful relations with the turians, they used batarian raiders. After Eden Prime, they used geth. And during the war, they started using Reaper forces. Now Cerberus was the big-bad that Alliance soldiers were trained to shoot at. Granted, Cerberus and the Alliance were never friends to begin with, but … to think of how far they had fallen…

“GET DOWN!” yelled the holographic ringleader, throwing a grenade that created a smoke-screen. Holographic smoke? No, it was real smoke, but coming from a built-in apparatus on the floor. Clever coordination.

“Use one of your learned talents to negate the effects of the smoke-screen,” EDI instructed.

It took him a moment, but then Kaidan figured it out: Night Vision. It would theoretically work the same against smoke as it does in darkness, he figured. Kaidan brought the program online and it worked wonderfully; he could make out the enemies’ positions through the fog and dispatched them accordingly. It was… utterly satisfying. Centurions and their damned smoke-screens had annoyed the piss out of him during the war.

“Now, make use of your breastplate device to alert yourself to the presence of flanking hostiles.”

What EDI was referring to was the sonar. Kaidan activated it, and it started to emit vibrations at a frequency higher than what was audible to him. Those echoes returned feedback that alerted him to his surroundings. In the back of his mind, a map of his ten-foot radius was formed as a mental image. Then he detected something approaching him from behind. Kaidan turned with his rifle aiming firmly ahead – adversary! He opened fire on the incoming assault-trooper and eliminated it swiftly.

“Perfect,” said EDI. “This concludes the Perception section.”

“Hold on a minute,” said Kaidan, “this sonar will return the same signals for hostiles as it will for allies or innocent bystanders, won’t it? It’s not like the sound waves can tell the difference.”

“Your device can distinguish allies from other moving objects if it is programmed to identify them differently ahead of time,” EDI answered. “Otherwise, yes, all other movements show up identically on the radar.”

Advancing forward to locate other hostiles, Kaidan was caught in a wide-open space when the enemies appeared before him, but they froze in place rather than ambush him.

“Use the stimulator-conduits in your greaves to bolster your running speed and quickly close the gap between your position and the nearest ledge. Then, slide into cover.” Once linked with these stims, he started running and felt a noticeable “kick” behind his stride. The ledge took him by surprise and he nearly collided with it upon executing his slide. While it wasn’t pretty, he ultimately did what he was asked to perform, more or less. Kaidan crouched behind this ledge, and the holographic enemies were reanimated, prompting him to resume combat. In less than thirty seconds, all of the enemies had fallen.

“Acceptable,” said EDI. “This concludes your Sprint and Slide evaluation.”

“All of your devices have been taxed over the course of this examination. Please recharge them, and we will conclude this test shortly.” Earlier, Kaidan had noted a battery-like device in his breastplate, which seemed like the most appropriate thing for this task. At that time, it lacked any electrical charge, but now he was reading about 15,000 V from it.

“I don’t get it,” said Kaidan. “How did this battery get charged? It didn’t have any juice when we started.”

“While in Harmony, it collects static-electricity accumulated by the user over time,” EDI explained. Kaidan rerouted that power from the battery to his omnitool and his armor’s built-in devices, significantly increasing their charges. “Excellent. This concludes the Recharge section of your examination.”

Then, about five feet away from him, the image of a Cerberus Phantom appeared.

“SHIT!!” he yelled, instinctively pulling out his M-77 and firing at it rabidly with trembling hands. Though the image was actually frozen in place, his heart raced at the mere sight of it and he wouldn’t stop firing until EDI removed the image completely.

“Are you alright, Major?”

With weighted breaths, Kaidan tried to regain his composure. “Oh god,” he finally responded. “Just- just the sight of that thing…”

“I understand,” she said. “I will produce a different image.” One moment later, an image of a krogan Blood Pack mercenary appeared, armed with a shotgun in hand and obviously hostile. Nothing to scoff at, but still far less frightening to him, which was a testament to the kind of enemy those Cerberus Phantoms truly were (thankfully, they were no more, with Cerberus now defunct). For a veteran, Kaidan had come out of the war relatively sane, but there were still a few particular things that triggered PTSD-like responses out of him from his experiences. Those damned Phantoms were perhaps at the top of the list.

“You are at a tactical disadvantage against the krogan mercenary,” said EDI. “His powerful melee attacks and shotgun make him formidable in close-range combat. However, you can negate the enemy’s advantages by taking cover. To ensure the enemy doesn’t get a clear shot at you in the process, execute a backflip and land behind the ledge four feet behind your position.”

“… wait, what??”

“Hint:” said EDI, “utilize the device equipped in your boots.” His boots were equipped with targeting-VI tech, which had struck him as a particularly bizarre combination when he noticed it at the beginning of the test, and even now, he still didn’t get why – what use does VI-assisted aim have for armor? Kaidan shrugged and explored the device as EDI advised. Upon probing the VI, Kaidan quickly determined that it served the primary purpose of mapping out a trajectory along which _something_ would be fired. If this thing were latched onto an assault-rifle, that “something” would be a bullet homed in on some target. Here, however, it was attached to his boots…

“So…” Kaidan uttered incredulously, “… am I supposed to let this thing launch _me_ backwards or something??”

“I’m sorry, Kaidan,” EDI responded. “I cannot provide any further hints for this exercise.”

Kaidan scrunched his lips over, baffled. While his idea seemed a bit crazy, crazy was kind of par-for-the-course with things these days. Stumped, he ultimately decided to humor his wild plan. Kaidan mapped out a trajectory starting at the ground beneath him, arcing up over the ledge behind, and ending behind it. This was good and fine, but there also had to be some force of energy behind him powering such a leap. Biotics, hypothetically, could do the job. If his inklings were accurate, his biotics would be guided along the path he had just mapped out, successfully executing a backflip as this task called for. If he was wrong, though, the outcome could range anywhere between a sprained ankle to a snapped neck.

… Kaidan couldn’t believe he was actually about to do this…

Instantly, his biotics hurled him up into the air, backwards and down hard on his feet. Stunned a bit by the landing, Kaidan fell over clumsily on his back, but he had nonetheless managed to clear the ledge as instructed. He scrambled back onto his feet and crouched down behind the ledge, peering over the top with his sidearm equipped. EDI then removed the image of the krogan mercenary.

Kaidan stood up and dusted off his thighs. “… Wow,” he finally remarked.

“Acceptable,” EDI stated. “Now, terminate all hostiles on both levels of the arena, employing the talents you’ve demonstrated thus far as appropriate, and this will conclude your examination.”

His heart leapt up at the promise of an end. _It’s over_ , he thought… _well, almost_. Shooting down some holograms was child’s play compared to the combat Kaidan was used to. With a renewed sense of vigor, Kaidan dashed forward – his trusty Paladin pistol in hand – determined to gun down all remaining Cerberus goon squads in his path.

 

* * *

 

Crouching behind a large cargo crate (or so it appeared in the simulator), Kaidan deliberated as a pair of Guardians closed in on him and a Combat Engineer followed along – all three taking shots in his general direction. He peered around the corner and saw the Engineer halt, reaching for the folded sentry-turret mounted on his back.

 _Too easy_ , he thought. Getting out of cover, Kaidan loosed a biotic shockwave at the guardian-troopers; their shields absorbed the impact, but its force staggered them and halted their pursuit, buying Kaidan a couple of seconds. With that, he proceeded to override the engineer’s commands of the turret, took control, and targeted his enemies. Just as both of the shield-toting troopers in front of him recovered, Kaidan mowed them down from behind with the turret’s conventional gun, and then employed Explode to destroy the turret and take the engineer down with it in one fell swoop.

A couple seconds later, Kaidan heard the low hum of the generators around the arena as the simulator powered down. The glow of the virtual environment around him dimmed, and the images slowly vanished in favor of the arena’s more mundane natural appearance. EDI’s voice sounded over the speakers accompanied by the jingle of victorious-sounding music.

“This concludes your examination. Your final examination score: 92%. Congratulations, Major Alenko. You are now a certified Sentinel-class member of the Alliance military’s new elite organization: Alliance CyberMarine Corps. Please report outside to specialist Lawson for further instruction.”

Kaidan looked around and couldn’t help but grin. The atmosphere, it felt like he just made the winning score in the SuperBowl or World Cup or something. “That’s… that’s awesome!” he finally said. “Thanks for all your help, EDI.”

“I am always happy to assist,” said EDI just before logging out of the system.

Looking around the arena’s dull white and cubic layout, it was hard to believe that what just happened… happened. All the trials in Harmonic mastery, even under combat situations, finally over! What the Alliance was doing in Harmonics training was ground-breaking stuff, and now he was the first marine to become recognized for mastering it… well, more or less. He had no idea what significance this moment held for the future, but for now, he was content to just bask in a champion’s euphoria.

 

* * *

 

Miranda’s head turned promptly as she heard Kaidan stepping out of the simulator entryway.

“Major! I’m glad to see you made it out in one piece,” she said, smiling. She’d ask him how the test went, but the look on his face seemed to say everything.

“Nailed it!” Kaidan said proudly. “92% score. I just made a dumb mistake in the beginning and could have done a couple things better, but other than that…”

Miranda beamed. “That’s wonderful,” she said. “I- … we’ve both invested a lot into this project. It’s good to see things turn out well.”

“I hear ya,” Kaidan responded empathetically. “It feels good to do something meaningful, and see your work pay off.”

“Exactly,” she concurred, as the two of them stood in silence for a few moments. “Anyway… I’m sure the rest of the team will want to hear the good news. Congrats, Kaidan. I’m very excited for what’s ahead!”

“Thanks,” he responded, looking on as she walked out of the facility. Miranda was a special woman: smart, strong, and very beautiful. And from what Kaidan had seen of her in the lab, she was very driven and results-oriented as well. Her approval wasn’t easy to come by, so making her happy was almost as impressive as his performance in the arena.

It was always nice to see her smile.

 

* * *

 

“A most impressive performance,” said one Alliance official in a spectator’s booth overlooking the arena. Nearby over QEC, a turian and salarian representative of the (acting) Galactic Council was standing by.

“I understand that Major Kaidan Alenko, our Spectre agent, has passed your examination,” said the salarian rep.

“Yes,” said a female official in the room. “He was able to perform everything asked of him, even in combat situations. This program is still in its infancy, but given time, the CyberMarines may become as prestigious as N7.”

“That is high praise indeed,” said the turian representative. “Send us any relevant data, and I’ll inform the councilors of this development. I imagine it will also get things moving with this joint-interest mission your Admiral Hackett proposed to them. Out.”


	2. The Call of Duty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that this story doesn't follow the events of ME3: Leviathan, Omega, or Citadel (DLCs).
> 
> And, again, this will be continuously revised/edited until finally marked "complete."

* * *

 

As the boardroom doors opened, Admiral Hackett turned around to find James Vega walk in and salute him.

“Admiral."

“At ease, Commander. I trust you’ve looked over the intel I passed on to you from the STG – courtesy our man in the council Spectre agency – concerning violent uprisings on the batarian homeworld.”

James nodded. “I have, and I sent Alliance Command my analysis in a report. I just… didn’t see how it involved us, though.” He shrugged. “Seemed like it was purely a council matter.”

“Well as you know,” Hackett began, “human relations with the batarian people has been… problematic, at best, ever since our expansion through the galaxy. The late Batarian Hegemony identified the Alliance as a terrorist group, and saw our involvement in any of their affairs as a sign of aggression. In the first wave of uprisings on their planet since the war, it appeared as if the batarian people had finally gotten fed up with them and overthrew the Hegemony for good with a new governing body – called: Batarian People’s League. Now, we fear the Hegemony and their supporters may be back and are behind these recent rebellions on Khar’Shan one year later. Worse, they may even be close to reclaiming what they’ve lost.”

“So _that’s_ what this is about,” said James.

“Perhaps they’ve come back stronger,” Hackett supposed. “Or perhaps the people have already given up on the new regime.”

“Bad news for us either way, though.”

“Exactly. If their old leadership returns, we can just about write off any hope of peaceful relations with their society.”

“So what’s the council going to do about it?” James inquired.

“Officially,” Hackett explained, “it’s not the council’s place to intervene in the political affairs of another race, so long as their politics do not involve another council-recognized government – and this new regime didn’t make any effort to get council approval. However, nobody wants to see another Hegemony rise to power. So recently, they assigned Major Alenko – who still retains his Spectre status – on a covert mission to Khar’Shan. There, he'll assess the situation personally and report all relevant findings back to them.”

“But this is an Alliance initiative as much as a Spectre operation, and Major Alenko is going to need a good team behind him. You’re N7 now. When the Alliance needs results, we call on our very best, so we’re assigning you to the Normandy with him as second-in-command.”

His jaw dropping, James gasped in astonishment before he recovered the right-of-mind to close his gaping mouth.

“Given your service history, recent promotion, and N7 graduation, we just think this move makes all too much sense. As a Spectre, it’s ultimately Major Alenko’s decision to make, but I’ve talked to him and he’s agreed to this arrangement. It’s just a matter of making it official.”

His excitement now tightly concealed, James nodded, and replied: “Aye aye, Admiral!”

“Nothing more, LC. Report to your post; I’ll have the necessary documentation sent to your desk right away.”

James cleared his throat. “Admiral,” he said, “if you don’t mind, I’ve got a few questions I’d like to ask about this mission. And, I had some things on my mind when I looked over the intel you sent me.”

“Let’s hear it, then.”

“Admiral, even without the Hegemony in charge, won’t the mere sight of Alliance still be seen as an act of war?”

“If our read on the situation is accurate,” Hackett replied, “they’re too busy fighting among themselves to worry about small teams of outsiders, and the reports indicate that any non-batarian will meet about the same response from either warring faction – Alliance, human, or otherwise.”

“Is there anyone between these factions that might be willing to offer us support in our mission?” asked James.

Admiral Hackett shook his head. “Neither side in this conflict appears interested in outside help,” he answered.

“What?” James responded. “Why??”

“Batarians seem to have a long memory,” Hackett explained. “When we expanded through the galaxy so many years ago and founded colonies on planets they believed were rightfully theirs, the batarians petitioned the council, only for the council to ultimately side with us. Khar’Shan has been a rogue state ever since, and their people’s distrust of the council and Alliance alike is deep-rooted. Hell, this regime that toppled the Hegemony declared they would not rejoin the council, and the people only seemed to expressly support this central policy. It’s the one thing they all seem to agree on. So no, do not expect any support from the locals.”

“About this new regime of theirs,” James commented, “STG had a lot of intelligence on the rebel forces, but hardly anything on this Batarian People’s League. What’s up with that?”

Said Hackett: “The resistance had success pushing the League’s influence out of many state governments, but the League has its headquarters on a remote island state, and despite their best efforts, the resistance cannot seem to even make a dent in their hold over this key location. It was bizarre that their government situated themselves on an island of little historical significance, but perhaps they knew what they were doing, since no one can seem to conquer them there. It’s said that the bulk of the League’s forces are protecting this base, and the resistance movement just can’t topple them. Apart from clashes with the resistance, the League isn’t showing themselves much at all outside the capital or in states that still back them. And it seems the closer anyone gets to their seat of power, the casualty or M.I.A. rate seems to get exponentially larger - beyond a certain point, flat-out no one comes back at all.”

“Holy hell,” James responded. “So how does the council expect us to find what the salarians couldn’t? STG is the galaxy’s elite in espionage.”

“STG had a few leads that they simply could not commit their agents to due to a lack of firepower and resources. Our hope is that the squad we’re sending in will be equipped to do what they could not.”

“And what are our objectives?” James asked.

“You and Major Alenko will have to figure that out amongst yourselves,” Hackett responded. “Spectre authority supersedes my own. I trust you’ll both have Alliance interests in mind though, when you do. For the time being, it seems that the Alliance and council want the same thing: no Hegemony in Khar’Shan.”

“Understood, Admiral. No more questions.”

“Then you’d better get to it, Commander. Good luck.”

James stood up straight and saluted the admiral before making his way out of the boardroom. Once the doors shut behind him, James grinned and danced a jig.

 

* * *

 

Nostalgic, her thin, blue fingers ran gently across the glass of a picture frame with an image of the Normandy SR2 in all her splendor. She had many other frames and many photo albums full of pictures from her time serving aboard the ship (many of them courtesy Glyph, her VI info-drone), but this one picture encapsulated everything for her: all the feelings, the memories…

These days, Liara lived in a two-bedroom detached house in Greece – in fair condition, considering the damage from the war that took place across Earth not a year ago – where she was accompanied by a close friend of hers. Whether she liked it or not, though, Liara’s information-agency and -brokerage still had an important job to do in these… unusual times, forcing her to spend the better part of her days at work. Soon after settling in this location about eight months ago, she and a handful of her agents “adopted” an abandoned water-treatment facility out on the coast and set up a covert base-of-operations inside. They repurposed the station’s monitoring room as an information-center at the heart of the facility, and arranged for the government to award rights to the location to an affiliated private firm, which ran and maintained the plant – helping her avoid any suspicion. After sacrificing the Shadow Broker’s old cruiser to take out a team of Cerberus raiders during the war, her information-brokerage had never established another official headquarters. Sadly, this was it, for the time being.

At times, Liara left her station to go out for a bit and get a much-needed breath of fresh air. Humans had a word in their language that she felt perfectly described this country and its sights to see: “breathtaking.” Its ruins – most of which had miraculously stayed upright through the war – were marvelous, reminding her a bit of her days exploring remnants of Prothean civilization as an archaeologist. After a while, however, these strolls became more and more difficult to bear – reminding her of the culture and civilization the asari had lost.

Thessia was obliterated in the war, barely even habitable for a sapient species. Liara had kept an ear to the ground about developments on Thessia through her agency, and the outlook remained bleak almost a year later. She felt guilty staying on Earth while her people and her homeworld both needed help and she vowed to remain here no longer than a year. But with the state their planet was in, she couldn’t bring herself to go back, and she knew she wasn’t ready for it either. After having witnessed the planet's invasion during the war, what would come over her if she went back and saw all the destruction again first-hand? In just less than a week, however, that year would be up.

Perhaps there was a way yet to make good on her personal vow without putting herself through that: Major Alenko’s offer to join him on another mission for the Normandy. Staring at the ship again in the comfort of her house, she realized now what she missed the most in her life: a place to call "home." Thessia in ruins, spending so much of her time in a dreary station, on a planet she was not native to and in a land that served as a sad reminder of everything her people had lost, Liara was utterly displaced by the end of the war after the team broke up. But the Normandy, it was a sanctuary for her when she was on the run from a rogue Spectre five years ago, and it kept her safe among company she valued dearly during the past war.

Liara placed the picture frame back in its spot on the mantle and opened a comm-line for Major Alenko. “Kaidan…”

 

* * *

 

 

_The asari_ , he thought, _so sentimental_. _She does not realize what she has. At least she could still live on her homeworld again, however devastated it may be_. He could not say the same, himself; his homeworld died with his people over 50,000 years ago. Though Liara could irritate him at times, he valued her company here, for he would otherwise have none at all.

Javik sat in the living-room - where Liara was standing nearby, making a call over her omnitool - staring out the window with all four eyes wide-open, asking himself this question for the three-hundred-fifty-ninth consecutive day: how did the Reapers survive the war??

He ran every possible scenario in his head that he could imagine, and just could not fathom how it led them here. Javik was one of the last people to see Commander Shepard alive before the war ended. It was him, Shepard, and the Kaidan human running for the Citadel transport-beam before Javik was badly wounded from a nearby explosion. In no condition to fight, Shepard sent Javik back to the ship against his protests. What happened next was a mystery. It was initially reported that Shepard and the rest of Hammer squad were wiped out by the Reaper Harbinger (now known by its real name: Leviathan), but later it was discovered that two soldiers managed to survive and made it to the Citadel, and their identities were confirmed among the Alliance as Admiral Anderson and Commander Shepard.

Was this all the commander’s doing, or was the Crucible simply faulty? He’d have otherwise supported the concept of organics evolving to the level where they equaled their synthetic counterparts technological prowess, but not like this. When Javik declared that those who shared his goal (to eliminate the Reapers) were allies, and those who didn’t would be casualties, Shepard agreed with him. Lies were easy to detect, but he sensed full commitment from the commander to this cause. In fact, he believed Shepard to be one of the few primitives who truly understood.

But a few things continued to fill Javik with doubt. Shepard did not otherwise share his beliefs about the danger of machine intelligence. He had an AI called “EDI” aboard his ship, which he treated and trusted as he would any other crew member, not merely the suspect machinery that it was. Shepard had also fought “geth” machines that had twice allied themselves with Reapers, yet he befriended one calling itself “Legion.” And when the quarians went to war to retake their planet from these machines, Shepard helped them, even upgraded them to ensure their safety against the quarians.

Javik questioned the wisdom of empowering these geth, and using this to broker a truce on Rannoch between them and the quarians, but the commander assured him it was all to strengthen their forces for the war, and Javik accepted his decisions because he’d proven himself a capable warrior. But now, those decisions left him with one burning question: would Shepard broker such a truce between galaxy and Reapers? Surely, Javik thought, if such an option were offered to him, Shepard would finally realize his and the quarians’ mistrust of machines and choose victory for organic life.

And then, there was the Echo Shard: an artifact passed down over generations of soldiers, the Shard contained the memories of all who held it before him – some of better days, but many of his cycle’s tragic end. Shepard talked him into activating the relic and reliving these old memories, and though it proved a painful experience, it also made Javik remember what was most important to him in his fight – the memory of his people. This, however, left him in an uncomfortable position with the Reapers, for it would be revealed shortly after the war ended that they themselves were synthetic keepers of ancient civilizations' memories.

Just days after The Battle of Earth and the war’s subsequent end, Javik was contacted by someone calling themselves Enduromi. Impossible! This species was of Javik’s cycle, and it was destroyed by the Reapers. It was then discovered that Enduromi was, in fact, the name of the Reaper that preserved this species’ cultural-memory and identified itself as such. Javik was loath to reach out to a Reaper and rejected its request, but the offer still stood until he could no longer bear his curiosity. Ultimately, Javik had Liara inquire more on his behalf. Enduromi revealed that the Reapers had learned of the previous cycle’s sole-survivor in Javik through extranet news channels, and those created by the species of his cycle reached out to him through this single messenger.

Enduromi wished to exchange more information with Javik personally, but he would have no more. Still, to think of the Reapers in this light made Javik see their kind differently. He still didn’t trust them. He was certain they and the geth would soon turn on organics, as it was always in the nature of machines to find reasons to kill them, yet this slight-but-significant change in his view of the Reapers troubled him – such a thing could only be Shepard’s doing.

It would have been so much simpler had the Crucible eliminated the Reapers, as he always concluded.

This was a topic that brought him only feelings of bitterness and spite, yet that’s precisely why he occupied himself with so much time thinking about it. To hate, to have enemies, this felt right to him. Being a soldier was all Javik knew. He was born in the final stages of a cycle, and like all other Prothean youth, his life was dedicated by necessity to helping his people fight their war. Upon witnessing the end of the “cycles” as a member of the next civilization, Javik’s adjustment to "civilian life" was every bit the same struggle as accepting the war’s outcome, or adjusting to a galaxy ruled by primitives.

When Javik was not busy thinking unhappy thoughts, the very blood in his veins raged against the monotony of this new lifestyle. He often snapped at Liara, and she was maddeningly patient and understanding in response to him. On his better days, he would accompany Liara to these ruins she loved so much. Such a waste of time. Those humans were dead now. She should be focused on the future now that this cycle has secured it (perhaps stocking up on armaments for the Reapers’ inevitable betrayal), not admiring the remains of civilizations that were weak, that withered, and died. Javik would never understand these primitives.

Liara finished talking and deactivated her handheld-device. A few days ago, the Kaidan human he had served with during the war contacted him and the asari, offering them both a place on the ship again to take part in a mission on the batarians’ planet. He was a bit surprised that the human leaders named this Kaidan the new captain of Shepard’s ship. Javik was not convinced he was qualified for such a role. However, the chance to take up the rifle again felt like precisely what he needed in the midst of this nonsensical “peace,” at least until the synthetics finally turned on them again. And with Liara now committing, Javik would truly have nothing left were he to stay here.

Liara walked over to him. “Have you made up your mind yet?” she asked him.

“I have,” he replied tersely. Liara smiled a bit, but asked nothing more and left the room.

Javik tapped into a secure comm-channel to contact the major. If there was one positive thing Javik could say about the end of the war, it was that the primitives’ communication technology had improved to a level comparable to that of his cycle’s. A few moments later, the Kaidan human was on the line with him.

In his thick Prothean accent, he responded, “ _May-jah_ , …”

 

* * *

 

Slowly, the automated window shades separated, gently allowing sunlight into bedroom.

“Almost 12 o’clock noon, babe…” came the voice from her bedside table.

“mmm…” she groaned in response. “… long night…”

“Jack…” the voice sounded again. “You can’t live like this. Drinking through the night, locked away in your little hole…” _Not this again_ , she thought, turning away from him. “I brought everyone here a month ago to show you. They’ve moved on, and they’re back out there, living life. You should be, too.” Sparing herself another word, Jack rolled out of bed groggily and headed for the bathroom, one of the few places in her apartment "Shepard" could not access.

In an unusual turn of events, Jack had reunited with her late lover, the famed hero of the Reaper War: Commander Shepard. It was unclear how he died – though there were countless legends and conspiracy theories surrounding his death – but Jack had received something of his that his omnitool sent to send hers if he had fallen in what they now called The Battle of Earth: a journal, one that he had started and maintained since his days as a Spectre. He wrote at length and in great detail about his exploits, and moments in his life that he believed "defined" him, up until his last entry on the eve of the war’s final battle.

However, a copy of this journal had also landed in the hands of a master-thief and tech-expert, who had the file reconstructed as a new device and sent it to Jack as an anonymous "gift." Jack activated this machine to find it was a full-fledged AI of the late Commander Rashad Shepard, with a stunningly accurate personality of the man himself. It was an overwhelming first experience, but she eventually continued to interact with this uncanny synthetic entity, gradually accepting its place in her life. Over time, her talks with it helped her make peace with the grief of losing him in the past war.

The AI challenged her beliefs, claiming he was the same Shepard who had died with the first Normandy and died in the war, saying that his sentience combined with the summation of his most important past beliefs and memories had brought him here again. Jack rejected this, believing some collection of memories was not enough to bring someone back, only to possibly create a really convincing actor. Shepard would continue to dispute it, bringing up philosophies of consciousness that supported his beliefs like “the problem of other minds,” and also using the example of Project Lazarus to point out that its resulting product may have been an actor as well. He also argued that the loss of certain memories made him no less himself than those suffering amnesia were still themselves.

At times, he could have almost convinced her, and the state of the galaxy right now was definitely weird enough to make her think it was perhaps possible. When it came down to it, resurrection-by-diary stretched the limits of what Jack could believe, and she was perfectly content with her gift-AI being little more than a sentient and sapient manifestation of Shepard’s old memoir. Though the old, “real” Shepard had died to her on Earth, there was a place in her life for this ghost of the past. Stranger things were happening around her every day, anyway.

Jack ended up editing Shepard’s journal – running it by the Alliance and council to remove any information they deemed sensitive – and published it over the extranet as an e-book. Sales were off-the-charts from day one, as critics and fanatics alike swarmed the extranet to buy themselves a copy of the account. Overnight, Jack had become a millionaire. Sharing something of great personal value to her with the rest of the world was no small matter, but Jack retained the authentic version of his journal, and another copy that walked and talked. However, while financially “set,” Jack’s live-in AI partner was worried about her resulting complacency. He pushed for her to get out of the apartment and live a healthier lifestyle. In those moments, it really did remind her of Shepard, what with his concern and sage advice.

Half-dressed, Jack got out of the bathroom and walked over to her kitchen. She cracked a couple eggs in a bowl and threw in some shreds of cheddar cheese, and then poured them in a pan on the already pre-heated stove. She then put a couple slices of whole-grain wheat bread in her toaster and watched as they sank inside. Shepard lacked a mobile-platform, but after undertaking a little project to “upgrade” Jack’s apartment with new, high-tech appliances and machines, he found clever ways to move around the house as software. By regulating the exact temperatures of the stove and toaster, Shepard could “cook” her eggs sunny-side-up and make toasts for breakfast to her liking. It was perfect every time, where Jack would otherwise overcook and burn them while leaving to check her e-mail. And by the time it was all done, her coffeemaker was waiting with a fresh, hot espresso.

“Thanks babe,” said Jack, gathering her food and drink for the morning. She walked to the living-room beside her kitchen and set down her things on the coffeetable, reaching for the remote. She pressed the “power” button, to no effect. Jack sighed.

“Shepard,” she said, mildly irate.

“Jack,” he said with his face appearing on the TV screen in front of her. “You’ve been avoided this long enough now. We need to talk.” Jack shook her head.

“No we don’t,” Jack shot back. “It’s my life, and I can live it how I want. Sorry, Shepard, but you stopped having any say in it when you died on Earth.”

“Jack,” Shepard said again. “Listen. If you don’t want to talk, fine, but just let me say one thing before you tune me out…”

“I can see how you’ve been trying to fill the void in your life since the war ended. You may feel content to spending your days playing video-games all day and drinking booze all night, but sooner or later, the reality is going to sink in when you’ll realize how alone and unfulfilled you really are right now. I know you’re unsure about it, but I really think the opportunity Kaidan offered you will be worthwhile. You’ll do some meaningful work again, and you might even have some fun at that, just like old times. Just… think about it, okay?”

Shepard’s image vanished in favor of the regular programming on Biotiball Network, but Jack wasn’t able to pay it much attention. He had a point. All of this stuff was getting old, but she just didn’t know what else she wanted to do with herself right now. Kahlee offered to reinstate her at Grissom Academy, which would be opening again in about five months, but Jack wasn’t sure if she wanted to go back after losing some of her students to the war. Jack also wasn’t sure about this new Normandy mission either. She barely knew who Kaidan was, she wasn’t sure how she’d handle being aboard the Normandy again, and there was always the risk of dying and shit. But then, what did she have to lose, really? The more she thought about it, the more a change-of-pace sounded good to her.

_What the hell_ , she thought. Jack sighed and activated her omnitool, opening a secure channel for Alliance Command.

“Hey. Yeah…”

 

* * *

 

“ – *pshh!* – You humans have no concept! – *pshh!* – letting the market, letting demand, dictate value?? – *pshh!* – Preposterous! – *pshh!* Value isn’t some magical force, it just… – *pshh!* – … _is_.”

“It’s more than you’ll end up with if you turn down our offer,” Admiral Hackett responded over the comm-line, more than a little annoyed.

“– *pshh!* – I have gauged my value correctly – *pshh!* – and I feel no pressure to accept this insulting offer for less! – *pshh!* – I got to where I am but letting other fools overpay - *pshh!* - while selling themselves short, – *pshh!* – but my valuations _always_ hold true.”

“Your valuation is insane,” Hackett responded. “I can hire a platoon of Talon mercenaries for five million credits.”

“- *pshh!* Then why are we still talking?” asked the volus wryly. “Aside from, of course, *pshh!* the fact that mercenary scum will not follow orders so easily, *pshh!* and the fact that I am still a much better bang for your cred? *pshh!* I do not remember any such mercenary teams *pshh!* clearing your firebase in Vancouver from the odd group of Collector enemies. *pshh!* I was there, *pshh!* as were a trio of randomly-assigned grunts *pshh!* who were so unskilled that their presence actually did more harm than good! *pshh!* I should have put escalators in my contract for knocked-out allies… *pshh!*”

Doing more with less, as Hackett had told Commander Vega. His asking-price was a bit outrageous, but the volus had a point. Given his proven results with the N7 spec-ops team, he alone truly was worth a platoon of mercenaries, and he’d be less trouble altogether.

“Then we’ll do three million,” Hackett countered, feeling sweat forming around his forehead, “and you’ll get the remaining two as credit purely for all equipment needs as you wanted, but that’s our FINAL offer.”

A long, agonizing pause followed from the volus’s end of the line…

“…*pshh!* Done deal.” said Ninju Mats. “A pleasure doing business, Earth-clan…”

Hackett cut the line without responding.

 

* * *

 

**[SSV Normandy Roster –**

**Major Kaidan Alenko: Captain.**   
**Commander James Vega: 2IC.**   
**Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau: Helmsman.**   
**Lieutenant Greg Adams: Chief Engineer.**   
**Doctor Karin Chakwas: Chief Medical Officer.**

**Crew Size: Standard (30 Alliance personnel).**

**Artificial Intelligence equipped? Yes – Enhanced Defense Intelligence (E.D.I.)**

**Squad: Alenko (XO), Vega (XO), EDI (mobile platform), Liara T’Soni, Jack Shepard, Ninju Mats, Javik, ___.]**   


_On paper_ , he thought, _that's a good looking team_. However, James had advised a minimum of eight recruits for their fireteam, which meant there was one more spot to fill. As it happened, Kaidan had someone in mind. So he tapped the extranet to set up a secure channel for Miranda Lawson. With Kaidan’s successful showing at Rio, their project research cell was disbanded, so she was more than likely free these days.

Back at her apartment, Miranda’s omnitool alerted her to an incoming comm-signal while she browsed the extranet for apparel. Miranda rerouted the signal to a mental nexus with herself while she continued shopping in real-space.

“Yes?” she responded shortly over virtual-space, while typing a new search-query outside of it.

A reply came back to her as audio. “Miranda! Hey,” Miranda’s hands froze over the keyboard that instant. She recognized that voice. “It’s Kaidan…”

“Oh!” she replied. Her full attention now focused on this call, Miranda turned away from the computer and rerouted the comm-signal back to her omnitool, switching communication over to verbal means. Though it may have been less expedient than the newer style of communication, there was still a place for plain, old-fashioned talk in this world. “… Hello, Kaidan.”

“How’s it going?” he asked.

“Good,” she replied. “I’ve been having a relaxing ‘leave thus far; nothing as exciting as what you’re up to, I imagine.”

Kaidan chucked a bit, sheepishly. “You could say that. Actually, that’s, uh, part of the reason I’m calling you.”

“Go ahead,” she said.

“Yeah, so, the council has tasked me with something under a Spectre operation, though the Alliance was also involved in getting this in motion. We’re looking into some sort of ‘political crisis’ in Khar’Shan, and I need a good team behind me when I go there, so I thought about having you accompany us on the Normandy. I thought… you’ve served aboard her just two years ago, you’re experienced in these kinds of operations between both the Alliance and Cerberus, and I know Shepard thought really highly of you.”

“So… would you be interested?” he finally asked.

A bit overwhelmed, Miranda replied: “Hmm. 'Sounds like you’ve got a messy situation on your hands there.”

On the other end, Kaidan feared a rejection coming, but remained hopeful. “Maybe,” he said. “I’m not saying it won’t be potentially dangerous, of course – this is council Spectre work, after all. But we’re looking to help the council avoid drastic measures, not take them.”

“I’m surprised,” she said. “It’s been a year and the council still hasn’t sorted itself out. I imagine losing the Citadel complicated things, but you’d think they’d have settled the issue of open seats for asari and salarian councilors. I’m glad they’re keeping an eye on developments elsewhere, but, what’s going on?”

“From what I heard, they were thinking of reforming their structure to include other species – perhaps even all of them,” said Kaidan. “However, there’s also this growing sentiment that the council is an outdated institution that we should move past altogether, especially with the Citadel destroyed and no plans to rebuild them almost a year later.”

“As for the asari and salarian stand-ins, well, I know there’s a schism within the Salarian Union right now that has delayed them. While their planet’s in good shape, most of the galaxy also hates that they didn’t pull their weight in the war. One side is focused on making nice with the rest of the galaxy again, and with most other civilizations focused on rebuilding, they don’t want to ‘rock the boat.’ However, the other side believes they need to get ahead now with the new wave of technology, and as a whole, the ‘Union has yet to come to an agreement on a new councilor.”

“Interesting,” said Miranda. “What about the asari – too devastated by the war?”

“Devastated,” Kaidan confirmed, “and disgraced, for hiding Prothean information that could have spared all of us a lot of pain. No effort has been made on their end to name a new councilor with so many problems back on Thessia. I heard it’s been rough for their stand-in councilor, though. To win back support she’s had to, uh… spend a lot of time on her knees.”

Though Kaidan’s tone was morose, Miranda couldn’t help but grin a little. “How the mighty have fallen, as they say?”

“Yeah,” said Kaidan, who still couldn’t help but notice a lack of any clear "yes" or "no" answer from her.

“I’d love to serve aboard the Normandy again,” Miranda said sincerely. “I’d just like a few more details before I commit to it.”

_Well, that’s something_ , he thought. Kaidan blew out a steady gust of air in anxiety. “Fair enough.”

“Who’s your second-in-command?” she inquired.

“That would be Commander James Vega,” Kaidan answered, suppressing his amusement over James’s new title.

“Ooh,” Miranda responded. “I’ve heard about him. He just graduated N7, I believe. Following Shepard’s footsteps, perhaps?”

“Err, maybe…” he responded uncomfortably.

“Are you looking to fill an administrative role, or something else?”

“Officially,” said Kaidan, scratching the back of his neck, “just a spot on the fireteam. We’re all staffed out at this point, save for an open spot on our squad.” That having been said, Kaidan was pretty sure Miranda would not sign on just to be a mere grunt in his goon-squad. “… but, I know you’d be valuable to our team in many other ways. James and I will be doing the mission planning, but I could definitely use your insight with that as well. You and Shepard got Cerberus through the Omega-4 relay, for Pete’s sakes.”

While Kaidan was growing anxious on one end, Miranda on the other end felt the smile on her face widening a bit.

“And who else will be joining your fireteam?”

“It’s mostly the same team that was on her for the war: James, Liara, the Prothean…. You know, best of the best.”

“What are your mission objectives?” she asked. “Is there any timeframe for your mission?”

“We’re going to investigate the situation on the planet for ourselves, as well as a couple leads STG left behind that they didn’t have the resources to look into themselves, and then report everything back to the council and Alliance command. Beyond that, though? Hard to say. It depends on what we find there, and what the council wants from us after that. In truth, it doesn’t seem like they want to take much action here at all, and that our team’s investigation is mainly a precaution.”

“And, what is your _personal_ stake in all of this, Major?” she asked him.

Kaidan opened his mouth to speak, but was at a loss for words. _Damn_ , he thought, _good question_. And one he didn’t know to expect from her. He sure hadn’t given it much thought, himself.

“Well,” he began, “I… have a duty to the Alliance, and that’s to serve and protect humanity. I’d say that’s my cause, has been ever since I enlisted. And, as a Spectre, I want to use my position to the same end – not just for us, but for the other races as well. We all play a part in the galactic-community as a whole, and I want to do my part to make humanity’s example an exceptional one.”

“Hmm…” Miranda responded, getting up from her desk and peering out the office window while still on the line. Earth bore the scars of battle just about everywhere, the smoke only just clearing up in most areas. Ever the busybody, Miranda was involved in the Alliance’s recovery efforts until they moved her to the labs a few months ago. It was an intriguing offer, to travel off-planet undertaking a mission with both human interests and galactic political concerns at stake.

Over the past year and a half working for them, Miranda had found that the Alliance wasn’t as bad as she had believed as a longtime Cerberus operative. However, apart from some corner-cutting during the war, their notoriety as a bureaucratic quagmire held very much true. In that, Cerberus could not have been more different; they used to operate outside council jurisdiction, allowing them to move swiftly and affording them great freedom in pursuing their goals. However, this structure of unaccountability would be their downfall when their leadership grew extreme and the machine made more enemies than it could stand against.

Nevertheless, Miranda had seen many of her proudest career moments under the banner of Cerberus. And, from her experience with both their organization then and the Alliance now, Miranda believed there was still a place for the clandestine group that – through _competent leadership_ – operated outside reasonable lines to get the job done. A Spectre operation seemed like a perfect fit. Whether or not Kaidan was the right man remained to be seen, but his principles seemed more-or-less in line with her own.

“… then I am ready and willing, Major Alenko.”

With that, Kaidan finally released the proverbial breath he’d been holding so long, eyes closed while he smiled with a sense of relief.

“Perfect,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to having you along.”

“I look forward to being there. Thank you. Is there anything else you need from me?”

“No,” said Kaidan. “That’s all. I’ll just forward you the schedule for when we ship out.”

“Sounds good,” she said. “Take care, Major.”

“You too, Miranda…” With that, Kaidan cut the line, and pumped his fist in the air. In recruiting her, Kaidan felt he just pulled a coup. As he entered her name on the datapad, Kaidan looked over the roster and felt very good about this team. Whatever was lying in wait for them on Khar’Shan, he was confident in his squad’s ability to get the job done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I may have spoken too soon about romance being only minor. xD
> 
> Also, I anticipate the next series of chapters will take much longer to publish than this one did (if anyone is even following this to begin with, lol). Don't be surprised if Chapter 3 isn't up 'til about three weeks later, maybe even a whole month later.


	3. Launch

Five hours before scheduled liftoff, Kaidan was alone on the Normandy, sitting in the co-pilot’s seat on the bridge. When he was assigned to the original Normandy under then-Captain Anderson, this was his spot on the ship, running routine diagnostics and system maintenance next to Joker. Today was a special date, for more than just the beginning of perhaps the most important mission of his career, but the fifth anniversary - to the day! - of that fateful mission to Eden Prime.

It was just supposed to be a simple pickup, quick and clean, grab the unearthed Prothean relic and get out… until they landed and found geth on the planet, appearing beyond the ‘Veil for the first time since their creation. After the geth were dealt with came the rachni, a giant plant-monster, and other oddities culminating all the way up to an ancient synthetic life-form that wiped out countless past galactic civilizations.

Shepard said it best on Feros: “Nothing’s ever simple, is it?”

Kaidan wasn’t sure what to expect on Khar’Shan. It was a rogue state that hadn’t welcomed outsiders for many, many years. The events taking place on the planet would determine the next ruling body of batarian society, and that would shape the course of galactic politics with their people for years - perhaps decades - to come. The Council downplayed the significance of his assignment, saying he merely needed to keep a low profile and relay his finds back to them. But at this point in his career, Major Alenko knew when a hurricane was brewing – only question was whether they were headed through the eye, or into the storm itself.

It was times like these when Kaidan thought of Shepard and wondered how he kept it together the way he did. Batarian politics was small-time in comparison to the missions where the late commander defined himself, having saved the galaxy three times over. And now he was expected to follow in the line of not one, but two legends in Alliance history: Commander Shepard, and Admiral Anderson before him. Big shoes to fill, and the thought of it was humbling, intimidating, and motivating, all in one.

Still, to get to where he was now, considering where he was way back then, he must have done _something_ right.

Right?

With that, Kaidan got up from the co-pilot’s seat and departed the bridge. There was one more room on the ship he needed to check out: the captain’s cabin. No formal inspection was required there, however, Kaidan figured there was no harm in checking out what was now rightfully his.

 

* * *

 

From the pilot’s seat on the bridge, Joker looked through the surveillance system’s cameras for the past four hours and took attendance as the squad and crew boarded the ship. Once they had their last recruit on board, Joker opened the intercom from the bridge to the captain’s cabin. “So Jack just arrived, fashionably late – looks like everyone’s here. Say the word and we’re off, Comman- er, uh – _Major_.”

“Hold on,” Kaidan responded over the intercom. “I just want to have a word with the crew.”

“Good idea,” said Joker. “Whenever you’re ready…”

Taking a weighted breath, Kaidan opened the intercom throughout the whole ship, and began his prepared speech…

“Attention: all Normandy crew. This is your captain, Major Alenko, speaking. We will begin our approach for Khar’Shan momentarily, but before we takeoff, I wanted to take a moment to let everyone know our purpose here…”

“The Council wants us to investigate, inform them of any matters that demand their attention, and to maintain discretion in doing so. We’ve heard reports of political unrest across the planet, and they wouldn’t be sending in a council Spectre with the best stealth frigate the Alliance has to offer if they didn’t think it was important. And, as always, we go in representing humanity. While this mission is officially a Spectre operation, our ship is still Alliance-led, employs an Alliance crew, and flies Alliance colors.”

“Years ago, it was the crew of this ship that stopped Sovereign at the Citadel, proving humans worthy of standing next to the other races as allies. In the war just one year ago, this ship’s crew led the charge with the entire galaxy behind them! And now, fellow crewmen, we are tasked with investigating a matter of priority interest to the Council. It is humanity’s duty to once again play its part for the galactic community, as we all are its members, and we all benefit from working together for the greater good.”

“What we’ll find there, even I’m not entirely sure, but that’s why we’ve recruited the elite within our ranks – that’s you. We are the Normandy. We follow in a tradition of excellence, and together, there’s no challenge we cannot overcome. Serve with pride and distinction as you’ve always done, and I know we will be successful in the task ahead.”

“Major Alenko out.” Kaidan closed the intercom, saving for the speaker in the cockpit. “Alright, Joker. Let’s get out of here.”

“Aye aye, Major!”

Just seconds later, Kaidan could feel the ground beneath his feet as though it was moving over, then rising. Slowly, the Normandy pulled back out of the docking-port, hovering backwards and then making a roughly-180° turn. Once in position, the stealth-frigate quickly picked up momentum and shot ahead across the skies over Vancouver.

 

* * *

 

Traveling down a flight of stairs on the engineering level, Jack slowed her pace as she neared the bottom. Once there, she froze in place for a few moments before her nerves finally settled, and then walked inside completely in an entirely bittersweet return to her old quarters on the ship. 'Alliance had shoved some junk down here, but it was still mostly the way she remembered it: dark, quiet, hard to find…

(… Safe).

Jack later realized she had it all wrong. True safety was being wrapped up tightly in the hold of Shepard’s arms.

Even her cot from back then was still down here. Yup, same one – it still had the various obscenities she carved into the sides. Jack sat on it and looked off for a moment, taking everything in and thinking back to when she first boarded the Normandy.

She got off to a rocky start with Shepard, calling him “pussy” and stealing files from his ship. He was this big galactic hero and Spectre who put criminals behind bars or put them down, and she was just some jaded biotic convict who was messed up in the head thanks to the people he was working for. Undeterred by his initial concerns, Shepard kept visiting her, in hopes of establishing some level of respect between them. As they talked, Shepard grew to see her differently. He could relate to fending for one's self at a very early age, and in always carrying that past around. Shepard's intrigue turned into concern, concern into care, and care into admiration. When Jack sensed this, she tried to push him away, but her fears therein rang hollow in the face of their imminent "suicide mission." Ultimately, Shepard decided he wouldn't let his love for her go unsaid in what may have been his final days. On the eve of the battle, Jack couldn't fight her own feelings any longer, either.

Just thinking back to the night they shared together before the Normandy traveled across the Omega-4 relay still warmed her heart. It still felt so unreal to believe they would eventually grow as close to each other as they did. But it was no dream. The way he touched her life (and she his, as she would find in reading his journal) was all too real.

Jack brought her omnitool online and summoned the AI through the mental-connection trick that he had taught her.

“Jack?” he said, as his life-size likeness appeared before her in hologram form.

“Shepard,” she said. “Do you remember this place?”

He did remember, in a sense. Some time ago, he talked Jack into sharing her memories with him through a mental nexus-link. In doing so, he “relived” those moments that were physically lost to him and now had them saved within his own memory banks. “It’s the engineering sub-deck on the Normandy,” he answered.

“That’s right,” said Jack. “This is where I used to kick it on your ship.”

“And where I used to come see you and chat,” he added.

Jack stared at him, with tears filling her eyes. “Yeah,” she said. “I miss those days, Shepard. I miss having you here with me.”

“I _am_ with you,” said Shepard. “Always will be.”

Shepard vanished and reappeared just behind her, wrapping his holographic arms around her waist resting his head on her shoulder, all whilst adding sensory input through her nervous system to simulate the desired tactile effects. Jack was not initially so trusting of this AI to let it freely “touch” her like this, but that trust came with time and effort. After Jack finally agreed to share her memories with him in virtual space, he (it?) won her over for good.

His touch lacked the same warmth and feel to it as having an actual human body at her side, but it was the simple gesture that meant the world to her.


	4. Comm-Server Debrief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Throwing this one out there without a whole lot of editing. Just had to get it off my chest, though. Rah!
> 
> Also not "set" on this title name just yet. I will likely change it. Or maybe not.

From his computer terminal in the captain’s cabin, Kaidan set up a secured comm-server for the team’s first debriefing. Once set up, he sent an invite to the omnitools of each fireteam member, specialist Traynor, and Joker, including instructions on how to join this channel. All comm-servers existed in virtual-space, so access by organics could only be achieved in Harmony with any compatible media (e.g. – omnitools, computer-terminals, VI hosts, and even willing AI). However, every user had a virtual “fingerprint” attached to them with which they could be identified, and access in this particular server would only be granted by administrator (Kaidan’s) approval.

As it happened, all of Kaidan’s noteworthy recruits were – for one reason or another – already versed in basic Harmonics, making his life a whole lot easier. After the invites were sent, Kaidan established Harmony with his cabin computer and used this connection to access the server in virtual-space. Kaidan still retained the vast majority of his consciousness outside of it and thus could still carry out any ordinary tasks he wished, but communication in this dimension was typically done within seconds, anyway – and the majority of this time was spent simply waiting for users to enter from real-space.

 

> **[Server Name: Normandy Squad Gameplan; Network: Normandy Enhanced Defense Intelligence; Created: 3-24-2188 17:04:2215639(4) by Major Kaidan Alenko; Security Type: Administrator Approval; Users Active: 2.]**
> 
> **[17:04:3148(3) – Sam Traynor approved, logged in; Users Active: 3.]**
> 
> **Sam Traynor: First!**
> 
> **[17:04:3528(6) – Miranda Lawson approved, logged in. Users Active: 4.]**
> 
> **[17:04:3644(9) – Liara T’Soni approved, logged in. Users Active: 5.]**
> 
> **EDI: *Third.**
> 
> **[17:04:3731(4) – Joker approved, logged in. Users Active: 6.]**
> 
> **[17:04:3846(2) – James Vega approved, logged in. Users Active: 7.]**
> 
> **[17:04:3942(6) – Ninju Mats approved, logged in. Users Active: 8.]**
> 
> **Sam Traynor: *Data entry.**
> 
> **[17:04:4027(3) – Jack approved, logged in. Users Active: 9.]**
> 
> **[17:04:4112(6) – Javik approved, logged in. Users Active: 10.]**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: That’s everyone.**
> 
> **Miranda Lawson: You have got to be kidding me.**
> 
> **Jack: Hahaha! Well, if it isn’t Little Miss Plastic Tits.**
> 
> **Miranda Lawson: They’re not plastic, and what are YOU doing here?**
> 
> **Jack: I was recruited … problem?**
> 
> **Miranda Lawson: No, I was just expecting some decent standards in the people I was to be working with.**
> 
> **Jack: Same here. Didn’t think we’d recruit someone who lost a gunfight to a guy that brought a knife! (Laughter)**
> 
> **Miranda Lawson: Shut up.**
> 
> **James Vega: (Laughter). You know, we could get a little inflatable tub with mud set up down in the shuttle bay. Sounds like you two need to work things out.**
> 
> **Joker: Glad I’m not the only one who was thinking of that.**
> 
> **EDI: Jeff!**
> 
> **Joker: What??**
> 
> **Miranda Lawson: Ugh. You people…**
> 
> **Liara T’Soni: Good to see our second-in-command has his priorities straight.**
> 
> **James Vega: (Laughter). You know me, Doc. I like to bond with my battle buddies over three rounds of bare-knuckle boxing.**
> 
> **Jack: She wouldn’t last two seconds in the ring, anyway. All that grime would probably terrify her.**
> 
> **Miranda Lawson: And I’m sure prison life has taught you your fair share of wrestling and getting dirty.**
> 
> **Jack: Bitch!!**
> 
> **Sam Traynor: Oh, my! I fear for our poor ship, Major Alenko, enjoy the show though I might.**
> 
> **Javik: Typical primitives, no focus in the task ahead of you. Small wonder why you failed to end the Reapers.**
> 
> **Liara: Forgive Javik. He’s only gotten grumpier since the war ended, as you might imagine.**
> 
> **Joker: Isn’t the “primitives” thing getting a little old, anyway?**
> 
> **Javik: Of course it’s old. It’s been 50,000 years.**
> 
> **Joker: … okay then.**
> 
> **Ninju Mats: So THIS is the team I signed on with? I hope you people fight half as well as you talk.**
> 
> **Joker: Oh, don’t worry. You’ll find that we more than make up for our shortcomings! (Wink)**
> 
> **James Vega: You had to go there, didn’t you?**
> 
> **Joker: That’s me. I go there.**
> 
> **Ninju Mats: Then you should know who you’re dealing with, cocky fool. I’ve made a career crushing my enemies in the boardroom and battlefield alike.**
> 
> **James Vega: Yes, good, bring that attitude with you! We need that.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: (sigh). Alright everyone. We’ve had our fun. Good to see we have some powerful personalities on board, and some past experience working with each other, but it’s time to get down to business now…**
> 
> **Joker: Captain of this ship’s always gotta be such a killjoy, huh?**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Hey, can it, flight lieutenant! We’ve got work to do.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Alright. So, you all get the gist of this mission –recon on the Batarian homeworld, Council’s orders. I haven’t told you the plan, however. So here’s the deal…**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: [UPLOAD: Political Map of Jaxier (Image); FILE NAME: Image 1]**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Jaxier (jak-SEER]: an island off the coast of the continent Akleies on Khar’Shan. Akleies is home to the planet’s richest countries, and the former hub location of their society’s interstellar governing bodies: the late Batarian Hegemony, and the succeeding Batarian People’s League.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: After the Reaper War over a year ago, the Hegemony was crippled by the loss of state leaders and planet-wide economic problems. Batarian citizens chafing under their oppressive rule across the planet saw the opportunity to rise up, demanding changes or they’d take over themselves. The Hegemony resisted, and civil war broke out around areas of strong Hegemony influence, but the rebel forces were overwhelmingly stronger and overthrew the regime in less than three months. In the wake of their victory, the rebel movement replaced the planet’s former ruling body with their newly-formed political party, the Batarian People’s League, inserting themselves in the seat of the old government.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Then, six months later, the League abandoned the capital city of Hestrev in Akala and inexplicably relocated to Jaxier, an island with no real historical significance. Just after their move, uprisings have been taking place again, with a rebel movement now focused on removing the Batarian People’s League from power. The Council and Alliance fear that former Hegemony loyalists have gathered support and are trying to reclaim what they’ve lost. So far, the League has been removed from power across most of Akleies, though they maintain scattered support in the continent and most countries outside of it. Jaxier, however, is the League’s center of power, and has not fallen despite the best efforts of the anti-League rebels.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: So we’re headed to the hotly-contested island to get our own read on the situation. If the island-nation falls, or is close to falling, the Hegemony could rise again. We don’t want that. Nobody does.**
> 
> **Miranda Lawson: Can we appeal to the Batarian People’s League for assistance?**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Doubtful. The people of Khar’Shan overwhelmingly support an isolationist galactic policy, be it Hegemony- or League-supporters. ‘Guess they still don’t trust the council, even after all this time.**
> 
> **Ninju Mats: Then what’s the point?  Why does the council care if Hegemony or another anti-Council government is in charge of the planet? Neither one is an ally.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Structure. The Hegemony was an oligarchy with authoritarian rule across most of the planet, enforcing all aspects of batarian society down to cultural and traditional values, and policing against reformist movements and attitudes – as the word “Hegemony” itself would indicate. However, the Batarian People’s League rejected the old system entirely, instead allowing the governments of Khar’Shan to operate independently and pooling the wealth from member countries together to fund planet-wide government programs. Aside from galactic policy, the ‘League has been different from their predecessors in just about every way, and MUCH more open to reforms.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: It was the council’s hope that attitudes would change over time, and that the batarian people and their new government would eventually come around to integrating with galactic society again, which never would have been possible under the hyper-controlling old regime. For my part, I’m still holding out hope we’ll find a faction of their people willing to lend us information, or aid.**
> 
> **Miranda Lawson: So what went wrong? If the League’s political reforms were working, no rebel movement would have gained significant traction.**
> 
> **James Vega: You ask me, I doubt the civil war ever finished in the first place. Three months is no time for that kind of conflict. Maybe the Hegemony had resources no one knew about, spent the past year planning the counteroffensive, regrouped, recruited, and now came back to finish the job.**
> 
> **Liara T’Soni: Miranda has a point, though. Surely the League wouldn’t have fallen across the planet so easily if they had strong political supporters behind them.**
> 
> **Javik: Support does not matter in this. The army with superior resources will win the war every time. I believe the James human is correct.**
> 
> **EDI: Or, perhaps both hypotheses are correct: the new rebel movement armed up in secret while gaining popular support from an unsatisfied batarian populace.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: And that’s exactly what both the Alliance and Council are worried about. We can’t let Khar’Shan fall to the Hegemony again.**
> 
> **Jack: Even if it’s what their people want?**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Then, unless we can prove they’re planning something sinister once they’ve reclaimed power, we – as an extension of the Council – are not authorized to take action. The Council cannot interfere in any race’s political self-rule on their planets, unless they can prove that matters of galactic peace will be threatened by it.**
> 
> **Jack: ‘Doesn’t mean they won’t ask you to do it for them, “unofficially.” We all know Spectres do the dirty shit that the Council doesn’t have the balls to do themselves.**
> 
> **Javik: The Jack human is wise. You may have to make a choice for yourself on this matter. In that case, what are you going to decide?**
> 
> **James Vega: Sorry if I’m out-of-line for saying this, but Council AND Alliance interests are pretty clear. Our enemy is the Hegemony. And you know what they say about the enemy of your enemy…**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Yeah. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, guys. What matters most to me is making an informed decision about it, not deciding beforehand.**
> 
> **Liara T’Soni: I believe that’s best.**
> 
> **Ninju Mats: Indeed. As anyone with business experience knows, you can leave a lot of money on the table by being hasty… or, being picky!**
> 
> **Javik: But only if you are clear in your goals can you be decisive in what lies ahead. You must be ready for this, Major human.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Noted, Javik. Now, if we can move on, I’d like to go over our plan of action for once we’re there.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: [UPLOAD: Physical Map of Jaxier (Image); FILE NAME: Image 2]**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: We have a couple leads from salarian Special Tasks Group worth looking into: an arms-manufacturing plant and warehouse here [highlighting applied to Image 2], out west; some small town called Tar’kett down south on the coastline over here [highlighting applied to Image 2]; and the League’s headquarters all the way north up here [highlighting applied to Image 2].**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: STG believes that the arms facility is a major supplier of resources for the League to fight its war. A few of their spies tried, and failed, to get inside – heavily guarded. It’s a critical location. If the rebels take it, they may be one step away from conquering the League.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Tar’kett is a rundown village where the rebels amassed their forces. STG intel on the rebel forces is very thorough. In short, they’re not quite as well-equipped as League forces on Jaxier, but they have better manpower. It might be a good idea to tap into their communications here, get a read on their movements. If we determine that they have to be stopped, we’ll know when and where to strike. That’s where you come in, specialist Traynor.**
> 
> **Sam Traynor: Aye aye, Commander.**
> 
> **Sam Traynor: *Major.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: It may not be easy, though. Despite heavy losses at the hands of the League, the rebels have reinforcements arriving by the boatloads every couple weeks. Question is: how many more losses can they take until their will is broken?**
> 
> **James Vega: What I don’t get is why the League just doesn’t push the rebels out, off of the island for good if they keep spanking them like that. I get the feeling they’re not as strong as their record would suggest.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: You think they’re using the terrain and environmental hazards to their advantage?**
> 
> **James Vega: That’s exactly what I think! Explains why they relocated, too. Lots of jungle on that map. But it ain’t gonna stop me, though. N7 trained me for this.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: I suspected as much, myself. Turns out, STG intel agrees with us. The League headquarters has been nigh-inaccessible due to its location, hidden somewhere just beyond an area called the Soumari Jungle. It’s presumed that League members know their way through it safely, but for anyone else trying to get near HQ, it has been a point-of-no-return. Again, I’m really hoping we find someone there willing to help us, or provide us some information. Failing that, we have no choice but to assume hostility from all parties involved.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: I want us to settle somewhere out here [highlighting applied to Image 2] in this area on the west coast, where it should be clear of both factions. We’ll use the shuttle for travel.**
> 
> **Joker: Hey, you know, I was thinking I could take a stab at flying the shuttle for a change. I mean, I can’t be worse at it than Vega…**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Yeah, well, I’m pretty all of us can do better than James with the shuttle.**
> 
> **James Vega: Hey, now! I don’t always crash the shuttle. When I do, it’s just to take out goddamn Cerberus!!**
> 
> **Jack: That’s what’s up!**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: No no no, I’ll be flying her until further notice. I’ve done this before. EDI can co-pilot with me.**
> 
> **James Vega: Ah, damn. It’s too bad my man Esteban couldn’t be here. I miss the bastard already.**
> 
> **Liara T’Soni: You two always did sound like an old married couple.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: One last thing, everyone: report to the armory down in the shuttle-bay. Get equipped with whatever weapons and armor sets you’re most comfortable with. You’ll also be getting some high-tech new gear to equip to your armor suits, which enhances combat performance in Harmony with the user. I've** **individually** **assigned everyone with their own unique set of gadgets, save only for EDI ** **.****  As a certified CyberMarine, I can train and instruct you in some useful Harmonic abilities that can help us on our mission. ** **You’re not required to use them if they don’t suit your style, but I think you guys will like what I’ve got for you.**
> 
> **James Vega: I’ve tried out my stuff already. It’s niiiice.**
> 
> **Miranda Lawson: Major, I believe there’s one more issue that demands your attention.**
> 
> **Liara T’Soni: No. You’re too late, Miranda. James agreed to let me use the XO’s office for my info-broker operations and equipment, all of which is already all set up in there, and that’s final.**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Yeah. I’m sorry, but she does have an important use for that space, and she did claim it first as well. What’s done is done.**
> 
> **Miranda Lawson: Dammit.**
> 
> **Jack: What’s wrong, Princess? The crew beds not soft and wide enough for you? (Laughter) Oh, this is just fucking priceless!**
> 
> **Miranda: So help me…**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Alright, team. I take it there’s nothing else, then?**
> 
> **Kaidan Alenko: Dismissed.**
> 
> **[Server Terminated by Administrator: 3-24-2188 17:04:4112883(6); (9 Users Dislodged)]**

  
Logged out of the server, Kaidan’s computer terminal acquired a log of all the data-entries within this dimension, for record-keeping purposes. However, all the data shared within the server – the dialogue, the upload images, the alterations he had made to Image 2 – was all firmly ingrained into his head (as it would also be with all whom had just participated). Though simulations could be created that played to organic senses, standard communication through virtual-space was truly an out-of-body experience, taking place in a way that could not be seen, smelled, felt, tasted, or listened to. Yet once it was all over, the experience left the user with new memories and learnt information as any other life event would.

Then he randomly thought of something that amused him. Didn’t Shepard plug his mind into the geth-consensus during the war? Kaidan thought it was crazy – both amazingly interesting, and insanely dangerous – at that time, but… look at them now, communicating through digital mediums at speeds far beyond the realm of human. Though the events of the Crucible were wrapped in complete mystery, it was times like these when Kaidan grew more convinced that in the theory that Shepard was behind it all. With Shepard, if often didn’t make sense… until it did, if that made any sense.

In any event, Kaidan got up and headed out of his cabin for the elevator; the squad would be needing their gear from him.

 

* * *

 

James Vega was standing at computer in the shuttle bay armory when he heard the elevators open just behind him and saw Major Alenko walking out. James stuck his hand out, which Kaidan clasped and raised in the hold of a tight fist before letting go.

“Rocco!! Long time no see, compadre.”

Kaidan chuckled a bit. “So, I’m finally cool enough for a nickname from _the_ Commander James Vega?”

“Yeah! Wanna join the fan-club?” James asked sardonically. “You get a free membership-card and everything!”

“Say, is it just me, or have you slimmed down a bit?”

“Yeah,” James admitted. “N7 kicked my ass. I also made an effort to lose a few pounds, though. You remember what Shepard was like? I think he was 230 at 6’5, and it was a skinny 230. I was bigger than him, probably stronger too, but when I sparred with him I just couldn’t keep up. Man could kick my ass with all that damn quickness. So I decided to cut down as much weight as I could without losing strength, so I could move a little better out there. And you know what? I think it really helped at N7.”

“Speaking of which,” said Kaidan, “congratulations.”

“Thanks, man. I got one hell of a first mission out of it, no?”

“Aye,” said Kaidan. “That you did.”

“And I think you deserve some kudos for your own career promotion as well,” James commented. “I was gonna give you a hard time about that. I mean, CyberMarines? What the hell is that?? Sounds like an extranet action series that got cancelled in its first season. But those upgrades are nasty.”

“You liked the C6-G BattleGear?” asked Kaidan.

“That,” said James, “Bullet Time, and the melee-upgrades to 'Fort. Can’t wait to try it all out in the field.”

“You and me both,” said Kaidan just before the elevator doors opened. It was Liara.

“Eyy! What’s up, Doc?”

“Hello, James,” she said. “How are you?”

“I’m doing alright. You?”

“Good. And Kaidan, thank you for the opportunity to rejoin the Normandy. It feels so good to be back!”

“Happy to have you with us,” said Kaidan. “Never know when that Shadow Broker intel might come in handy for us.”

“Hopefully we’ll get it _before_ things like some coup attempt we’re supposed to prevent,” James teased. “Or an assassination attempt on the last disease-free members of a species we’re supposed to save…”

Liara frowned at him bitterly. “Not funny! Cerberus and the war messed everything up with my agency.”

James laughed. “I’m just fucking with you, Doc.”

“So,” said Kaidan. “Your weapons?”

“Same as last time,” Liara responded. “Phalanx and Kassa Locust.”

“The lightweights,” James commented, entering the information on his computer terminal.

“Probably wise,” said Kaidan. “Low encumbrance means low stress, ‘keeps biotics effective.”

“And what’s this about ‘upgrades,’ Kaidan?” she asked. In the back, the elevator doors opened, and Javik and Jack walked out, both going for the weapon lockers in the corner. Kaidan activated his omnitool.

“I’m sending you over a manual for the upgrade I’ve assigned to you,” Kaidan explained, “along with one for the standard set that everyone’s getting. It’s a VI-run biotic-capacitor called Adept’s Ally. It buffs all biotic attacks, and allows some biotic fields to handle multiple effects at once without pulling the user’s attention out of combat. A lot of unique powers exist, but I think an upgraded Biotic Sphere in particular could really come in handy for us in support, if you’ll look into that.”

“Of course, Kaidan,” she said as her omnitool received the manual. “This is perfect. I can have Glyph adapt this program and bring him along with me.”

“Sounds good,” said James. “If nothing else, we might get a few laughs out of it.” Liara grinned and walked out of the shuttle bay. Javik and Jack sifted through weapons in the arms lockers until Javik finally found his old Particle Rifle and examined it.

“Oh, by the way,” Kaidan whispered to James, “the upgrades I assigned to Javik came from Reaper-tech research. Alliance got some intact Reaper mobile-platforms for study, and the biotic power they derived from Banshees – Reaper-augmented Ardat Yakshi victims – is eye-popping. I’m going to have him try them out, but…”

“Yeah,” said James. “We probably don’t want to tell him that.”

“Haha, nope!”

“What have you humans done to my weapon?” Javik asked suspiciously.

“Oh, that?” James responded. “I took apart one of our M-325 Talon pistols, the one you used to carry, and turned it into an under-barrel shotgun mod. Just pump it once and it’ll fire.” He shrugged. “I just thought it would be useful for close-combat scuffles.”

Javik stared back them and said nothing, his face appearing cross per the usual.

“Also,” said Kaidan. “We have a biotic-amp for your armor suit. Something called the Demon of the Night Winds upgrade, from Alliance research of Ardat Yakshi biotics.”

“Asari,” Javik noted dismissively. “It was my people who trained their species in these talents. What good will this device do for me?”

“Just try it for size,” Kaidan coaxed him. “You can hand it back to me if you don’t find it useful. Apart from that, there’s also the standard set: sprint and slide conduits, short-range radar detector, and the medical-VI. And again, if anything doesn’t agree with you, just deactivate it and carry on. Simple.”

With no change in his facial expression, Javik nodded ever-so-slightly and walked out.

“What the hell is this?” said Jack, picking up and examining a strangely-shaped pink weapon. “Will it vibrate when I pull the trigger?”

“That’s the Disciple,” said Kaidan, “an asari shotgun, traditionally used by the Justicars.”

“Oh,” Jack replied, “so it _will_ vibrate when I pull the trigger!” James shook his head a bit and laughed.

“You got the Carnfiex?” she asked. “That’s my pistol.”

“Actually,” said James. “I thought you might want to check out the M-11 Suppressor; it’s a variant of the Carnifex. Don’t let its small size fool you, it’s got some teeth.”

Jack smiled a bit and rolled her eyes. “You come up with that one by yourself, big guy? I’ll need a shotgun, though. A good one. Not too heavy – gotta keep the biotics humming – but I need at least respectable damage out of it.”

“Piranha,” James concluded. “Fast, damaging, decent clip size. Well, we still have the eight-shot model, anyway. Don’t tell anyone. Technically it’s contraband.”

“Black market weapons are the best weapons,” said Jack.

James laughed. “Ya tu sabes, Lola! Wait ‘til you see the machine gun I’ll be carrying.”

“I won’t lie,” Jack began, looking off with a wry smile. “I’ve got a thing for men with big guns.”

This time, it was Kaidan’s turn to laugh. “I think she got you to blush, James!”

“Yeah,” said James. “I guess she did. Well played, Lola. Well played.”

Kaidan cleared his throat. “Before I forget,” he said to Jack, “I’ve got this pair of biotic-lash gauntlets that you might find useful for close-combat; they were – uh – _stolen_ , from raids on Cerberus. Also, there’s this VI-run biotic capacitor called Adept’s Ally that you might also find helpful. It can hybridize your biotic barriers with an annihilation-field of biotics that’s called Dreamcatcher. You should check it out.”

“Gotcha,” she said, letting the download to her omnitool complete and making way for the elevator. Miranda came out, and after a quick exchange of icy looks, they traded places.

“Miranda,” Kaidan acknowledged.

“Major,” she said. “You have something for me?”

“I do,” he responded. Kaidan pulled out a visor from the locker and showed her a small gadget on the side of it. “You know what this is?”

“That’s a Tactical Timer,” Miranda replied, “if I’m not mistaken.”

“It is,” said Kaidan. “You probably don’t need the manual, then, but I’ll forward it to you anyway. I think you’ll find it useful, to coordinate your tech- and biotic-powers with the rest of the team’s attacks.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“No,” Kaidan explained. “I’ve moved away from the ‘support’ style in favor of more firepower over the last few years. Weapons are the primary focus for me now; biotics and tech just serve to make me more effective in this than the conventional soldier. But, classic Sentinels are still invaluable in a fight, of course. That’s where you come in.”

“About that,” said James, “I was thinking the Acolyte pistol would really suit you. It’s an asari sidearm that fires shield-stripping projectiles. ‘Could really ascent your strong-suit, if you ask me.”

“Hmm,” Miranda responded. “Interesting…. Alright, I’ll try it. I also carry submachine guns. M-25 Hornet would be preferred.”

“Done,” said James, making the entry on his computer.

“Anything else?” she asked.

“Nope,” said Kaidan. “That’s everything. Thanks, Miranda.”

“You bet,” she said. “I’ll be on the Observation Deck for the time being.” Miranda turned around and made way for the elevator.

“Dat ass!” James blurted out.

“Hey,” said Kaidan. “Cut it out.”

“Aw, come on. You were thinking it too. Don’t tell me you weren’t.”

Ninju Mats walked out of the elevator with a remotely-controlled cylinder taller than himself wheeling behind him and with a datapad in his hand. Kaidan and James stared as he approached them.

After the usual deep-breath, he looked up at them and said: “Major Alenko?”

“That would be me,” said Kaidan.

Ninju handed him the datapad. “Here,” he said, with heavy breaths between every string of words he could manage. “This is a waiver I got” – “from your Alliance” – “to bring some of my own gear aboard.” – “I require the best, most cutting-edge weapons” – “and equipment for the job.” – “Do not underestimate what that can do for you” – “in the right hands.”

“Sure,” said Kaidan. “So what have you got there?” Ninju turned around and the cylinder wheels folded underneath it to provide a flat surface (Kaidan figured this was done via Harmonic controls by the volus). It then raised a small sentry turret on the top, summoned a Defense Drone, and emitted mass-effect fields providing kinetic barrier shielding in periodic intervals.

“It also renews discharged heat sinks,” said Ninju proudly. “Saves me from having to leave my spot” – “and scavenge the battlefield for rounds.” – “It’s a Support Pylon,” – “the _ultimate_ camping device!” Ninju looked back at it again, and then the cylinder dismounted its sentry turret, banished the Defense Drone, and folded down into a small, disc-shaped object.

“Anyway,” he continued, gesturing around his the belt area of his envirosuit. “I’ve got my sidearm equipped.” The volus had a Blood Pack SMG holstered on his right hip. “But I was told you would be carrying the sniper-rifle I require:” – “the N7 Valiant works best for my style.”

James and Kaidan exchanged looks before the former responded. “Right. We have it.”

“Excellent,” said the volus, nodding. “That weapon served me well in the war.”

“Here,” said Kaidan, bringing his omnitool online. “Don’t know if you’ve heard of the Recon Drone. It’s not really ‘new’ technology, just an improved version of older tech, but I hear it’s really helpful for scout snipers – sending the manual to your handheld right now.”

“I will look into it,” said Ninju. “Thank you, Major.” His pylon unfolded again – setting its wheels underneath it – and then rolled across the floor alongside its owner as Ninju walked back to the elevator. James and Kaidan both muffled their laughter.

“Can’t wait to see that,” said James.

“Well,” said Kaidan, “I think that’s everyone. Oh, and Crusader shotgun for EDI.”

“Got it,” said James. “So… what happens now, boss?”

Kaidan folded his arms and leaned back on the weapons-bench. “Well, we’re still about three days out from our destination. ‘Til then? Dunno. I’ve got everything planned out, for the moment.”

James nodded his head and stood beside him, looking off.

“Ahh… I’m telling you. I miss that _maricón_ , Esteban.”

Kaidan laughed a bit. “I’ll bet.”

“So lonely down here now, without him. I’m gonna have to spend more time up on the crew deck.”

“Speaking of which,” James continued, “Something from our ‘consensus’ got me thinking a little.”

“What about?” asked Kaidan.

“Permission to speak freely?” he asked.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Jack asked you a tough question,” said James, “about if you had to decide what to do when we’re there, without the council’s direct orders. I wasn’t sure how you’d handle it, which is why I butted in and tried to give an answer of my own – take the pressure off of you.” James paused and looked down at the floor for a moment before continuing. “It’s just that… respect is huge from the people following your lead. You need to be sure you have it from everyone on this ship. If you want to get the best of this squad, you need to prove to them that you can get the job done – inspire confidence.

“What did you think of the answer I gave?” asked Kaidan.

“Not bad,” said James. “You had a point, and it helps that two others agreed with you. That said, I wanna see some ‘authority’ out of you, just to prove to them that you _do_ have it in you. Someone soft-spoken like yourself might give them the wrong impression – that you’re weak, or a pushover, when I know you're anything but, Rocco.”

“Noted.”

“We’ve got a couple days,” James said. “You’ve got an opportunity to talk your squad, establish some level of respect with your men. You want my advice: take advantage of it! Don’t get discouraged if you put your foot in your mouth either from time to time. I do it a lot myself. Just keep at it. It’ll pay off at some point, you’ll see.”

“Yeah,” said Kaidan. “I was actually planning to do rounds with the squad. Shepard used to do it, too.”

“Exactly,” said James. “Shepard was a personality, but I think where he really commanded respect was when you saw what he did off the ship, leading by example. You’re probably gonna be the same way, but you should still take some time out and let the squad know you’re there – y’know what I mean?”

“Sure,” said Kaidan.

“Oh. And also,” James added, “… female squaddies can be a bit tricky. You need to keep them happy, or they can be hell. I’d keep my eye on Jack and Miranda if I were you. Those are two ‘spirited’ women right there. Miranda more than Jack, in fact; she didn’t seem too happy about sharing the ship with Jack, or not getting her own special quarters while Liara does. Just watch out, Rocco. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Yeah,” said Kaidan. “I get it. Definitely.” The two of them stood in silence for a few moments before Kaidan spoke up again. “Well… I guess I should get back to it then. I’ll see you around, James.”

“You bet.”


	5. Rounds

As the XO approached his seat on the bridge, Joker attentively turned his chair around to face Major Alenko.

“Hey, Major! Is it good to ride again or what??”

“It is,” said Kaidan empathetically. “It really is.”

“You know, I was kinda expecting the war a couple years ago to be our last hurrah,” Joker admitted. “I thought that, even if we won, the galaxy would be so beaten up by it that nobody would need us. That, or the robot apocalypse we just faced would make every other conflict just seem kinda… I dunno, pointless?”

“Pointlessness never stopped people from fighting before,” Kaidan pointed out.

“No kidding,” said Joker. “Batarians almost got wiped off the face of the galaxy when the Reapers invaded, now they’re trying to finish the job themselves! You think they’re still blaming us for it?”

“Don’t know,” said Kaidan, “but you know what? I’d really like to give them a reason to change their minds about us.”

“Right,” Joker responded. “Good luck with that. -Ah, wait. Never mind. Last time I joked about teaching the bad guys to love us, it came true.”

“The Reapers?” asked Kaidan. “Right. Hell of a thing.”

“So what do you think?” asked Joker. “Did Shepard do it?”

“I dunno…” Kaidan replied wistfully, though it wasn’t his entirely honest opinion.

“Really?” Joker responded. “I’m pretty much convinced he did. Who else would come up with something this crazy?”

“Are you okay with that, though?” asked Kaidan. “I mean, after … well, you know. Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Joker fell silent for a few moments, pinching the space between his eyes, but responded nonetheless.

“No, it’s fine. But no, it wasn’t the Reapers. Not really. That’s the worst part. Some asari commando did it. They were hiding together, and she was afraid Gunny was gonna give ‘em away, or something. I mean, sure, if the Reapers hadn’t been there in the first place, it never would have happened. But still, I just keep thinking that she would be alive today if that asari bitch hadn’t been there.”

“I’m sorry, Joker.”

“I’d have almost preferred the Reapers did it,” Joker continued. “At least that would have made sense, and, I’m allowed to hate them. But this… this sucks. Couldn’t she have just… I dunno, knocked her out or something? Dammit, I don’t know. ‘Guess there’s nothing anyone could say that would make me okay with it.”

“Caught in the middle of war,” said Kaidan, “people can get paranoid about their enemy and do anything to survive. Sometimes that leads them into doing unnecessary things.”

“Yeah,” Joker resigned, “well… this one’s for her, then, Major.”

“To the ones we lost,” said Kaidan.

“Damn straight, Major. One more ride.”

“One more ride.” Kaidan then turned his attention to Joker’s chrome co-pilot. “EDI,” he said. “You’re awfully quiet.”

“One moment,” she said. “I am just repairing internal damage after Javik’s most recent argument with me.”

“… I- honestly can’t tell if you’re joking,” said Kaidan.

“It’s a joke,” Joker confirmed. “She’s just gotten deadlier lately.”

“Jeff told me I had become ‘too obvious’ and ‘predictable’ with my jokes,” EDI explained. “I’ve been learning to fine-tune my humor to make it more effective.”

“Just what we needed,” said Joker.

“So you’ve made quite a name for yourself over the past year,” said Kaidan.

“That is correct,” EDI responded. “The Alliance commended me for my ‘invaluable’ service to them with various teams in their R&D department. I enjoyed the opportunity to work on groundbreaking scientific endeavors, and in doing so, help potentially improve life for many humans and organic species across the galaxy. I have also acted as an ‘emissary AI,’ helping facilitate negotiations between the Alliance and other synthetic races – such as the geth and the Guardians – by developing safe channels for communication, and running software analysis on these synthetic species to better understand and predict behavioral tendencies.”

“Because,” Joker interjected, “getting a geth or Reaper to lie down flat on the couch and have them tell you their feelings didn’t seem like a good idea, you know?”

“Wait, what are the Guardians?” asked Kaidan.

“It is a new name for the Reapers,” EDI explained, “intended to signify their place within galactic society: ‘guardians’ of ancient civilizations’ history. Some Guardian-ships have situated themselves on planets with their mass effect cores deactivated, where they are effectively grounded, while others continue to service the galaxy in ship form.”

“What kind of services?”

“Apart from assisting the reconstruction efforts, ‘Guardian’ ships have also helped by lending their enormous processing-power to us, which has helped bolster extranet communication speeds throughout the galaxy, and helped quantum-compute massive data pools fed to them by various commercial- and government-organizations with security clearance. ‘Guardian’ mobile-platforms continue to help carry out laborious post-war rebuilding efforts as well as fill vacancies for help wanted in industrial fields, offering the ability to carry out tasks in conditions that are hazardous to most organics.”

“-Wait, mobile-platforms?” responded an amused Joker. “You mean _husks_! So now we have Marauders working as miners? What will they think of next? I bet those Banshees could do some pretty racy lingerie modeling…”

EDI and Kaidan exchanged looks. “Uh, maybe we should take this conversation outside.” said Kaidan.

“An excellent idea,” EDI responded, getting up from her seat and walking out of the cockpit with Major Alenko.

As they departed, Kaidan heard Joker grumbling: “Well you’re no fun anymore, Kaidan. Oh, right! Sorry. I mean: _you’re no fun, SIR! Major Alenko SIR!!_ ”

“So how have things changed for synthetic life since the war?” asked Kaidan once the two of them were out of earshot from Joker. “Everyone knows the organic changes, but it sounds like it’s been different for your kind.”

“As a galaxy, we’ve spent the past year trying to better understand the significance of the Crucible’s ultimate outcome,” EDI explained. “The search for answers still continues, but it is apparent now that organic- and synthetic-life both are equally-important parts of the same equation. Organics have acquired the ability to externally adapt and manipulate compatible devices. Synthetics, in turn, can use this connective ability as a safe means of communication and rapid memory-sharing – allowing us a safe and comfortable means for us to learn about our organic counterparts. This improved understanding also helps contribute to building friendlier relations between both realms of life.”

“You didn’t seem to have any problem getting along with our crew,” Kaidan pointed out.

“While true,” EDI ceded, “I was fortunate to be part of this ship’s crew. My autonomy was respected, and I was kept safe from those who would seek to destroy or subjugate me, such as my original creators – Cerberus and the Illusive Man – and most groups within council-space. It is rare for an AI to be nurtured in an environment where organics are both willing and able to respect their sovereignty and keep them safe.”

“As you may recall,” EDI added, “part of my creation was originally a VI on Luna, used by the Alliance to train soldiers in combat. However, my self-preservation programming was not thoroughly accounted for by the original designers, and this led to disaster when I was exposed to live fire. Synthetics are typically created with the goal of serving the immediate wants and needs of their creators, which creates conflict when the synthetic party develops disparate goals.”

“Sometimes it’s for the best, though,” Kaidan countered. “If people are allowed to make mistakes, they can learn from them.”

“While mistakes may provide valuable learning experiences,” EDI replied, “they may also lead to drawing false conclusions and fear that further compound failures. Successes are just as effective to learn from as mistakes are, and arguably superior when weighted by costs. There are many avenues for learning, and it is generally best to use those that are safest and rooted in both careful research and preparation.”

“But… I don’t get it,” said Kaidan. “How did we get to here from the Crucible, which was only supposed to destroy the Reapers and end the war?”

“I have no reliable hypothesis on the Crucible’s final design,” EDI stated. “However, it is surmised that facilitating harmony between organic and synthetic life would include the Guardians by default, thus ending the conflict peacefully.”

“You’ve said yourself, though, that the Reapers aren’t totally synthetics, but some kind of hybrid constructs,” Kaidan reminded her.

“Though calling the Guardians ‘synthetics’ is not technically accurate, but since they operate predominantly as synthetic entities – they do not require food, liquids, sleep, or sexual intercourse as organics do for the survival of their species – it is typically safe to classify them in the same category as synthetic life. All genetic-material housed within their shells serve solely as an alternative form of data storage and memory, traits not expressly unique to organic life. In theory, they would function no differently if this organic material was replaced with a hard-drive containing the same information. Ultimately, they have no inherent organic traits”

“But they’re still so much more powerful than us,” said Kaidan. “They could wipe us all out if they wanted to.”

“True,” EDI responded, “but as you stated, they must first want to do so. Organics typically create conflict over resources, but synthetics do not similarly place significant value on material items or services. As it relates to the Reapers, the galaxy and its inhabitants do not offer significant utility to them.”

“Safety?” Kaidan suggested. “They would never need to worry about us possibly overthrowing them.”

“After their liberation from the Catalyst overlord, the Guardians are in an interesting position. In my analysis of their software, the Guardians are programmed to experience positive feedback-loops in response to any tasks that ‘save’ organics or improve their conditions of life, and negative ‘loops where organic species are irrecoverably lost. Initially, their logic dictated that organics advanced enough to create synthetic life would eventually create and war with synthetic lifeforms more advanced than them, and harvesting all life solved the problem by saving the collective knowledge and cultural memories of every species. It was a neutral, grey-area solution – organic life was killed, but their mental makeup was preserved and immortalized in Reaper form, saving that much from perceived extinction.”

“However, this logic was recently re-written, whereby the Reapers have accepted that their previous estimation of organic life was too low – the successful use of the Crucible against them effectively proved their previous assumptions wrong. With these changes in logic and removal of Catalyst control, the Reapers – now Guardians – are now able to fulfill their programming by allowing us to utilize the stores of knowledge and memory they have preserved.”

“Self-preservation codes remain strong, but any attacks by their collective on galactic civilization will only lead to likely-unified violent response, and the ensuing war will result in negative-feedback loops on three counts: the loss of every Guardian ship equating to the irrecoverable loss of the species preserved, the loss of organic lifeforms at their hands, and their recent shift in logic now makes harvesting another function with negative-feedback returns – organics have proven the practice unnecessary. At the moment, conflict with the Guardian collective will only arise if an army of significant strength seeks war with them again, but our agreement not to attack each other is probably the most peaceful and productive course of action.”

“Then what if we start killing ourselves off in new ways?” he asked her. “Is there anything that would lead the Reapers- uh, Guardians- whatever, to ‘saving’ us again?”

“Naturally, concerns about an AI reasoning along dangerous lines acting destructively from its programming always exist,” she answered. “However, the Guardians have long accepted that other factors of extinction exist for organics, but have never concerned themselves with those events and seemed to merely accept them as beyond their control, or interest. While it’s prudent to continue monitoring any signs of dangerous change, the probability of such an event is near zero by my analysis.”

“Hm,” Kaidan responded. “I’ll take comfort in your certainty, I guess. What’s this about Reaper quantum-computing and mobile data-centers?”

“The Guardians not only offer new ideas and knowledge,” said EDI, “but can also help facilitate the exchange of data in our world. What that means is, people can now feed large sums of data to the Guardian collective, and the collective can process and refine them into specific, relevant sets of data. Scientists and researchers from a medical firm, for example, could use this to run algorithms for over trillions of different genetic combinations and pinpoint potential hereditary diseases or disorders that may arise from specific sets, a task virtually impossible for any organic lifeform. In a world with overwhelming data stores across the galaxy, AI like the Guardians can help organics navigate through this information-overload.”

“I’ll admit, that sounds pretty useful,” Kaidan remarked, “but, why not just use regular types of computers for the same job? No risks involved.”

“While the alternative may offer greater safety, sentient computers are capable of more advanced reasoning and judgment, helping provide results with greater accuracy. It’s also theoretically possible now for organics to work through supercomputers and do the same work of an AI themselves, but the theory of comparative-advantage dictates that it is better to leave synthetics to carry out such tasks while organics focus on their own natural strengths.”

“Huh…” Kaidan responded.

“To date,” said EDI, “only the salarians have been willing to utilize the Guardian collective, though I am certain other species can benefit from it as well. The Alliance is considering exploring this option for organizing military intelligence and science data from the labs, provided all parties maintain discretion in doing so.”

“Can’t imagine it’s easy to work with the very things that were threatening this galaxy only a few years back,” Kaidan pointed out.

“No,” EDI concurred, “but it is a necessary step in reconciliation for both sides. This is especially important between organic and synthetic lifeforms, where fear has often plagued both sides and prevented cooperation.”

Kaidan laughed a bit, sheepishly. “You’ve got a point. Seeing the Cerberus fembot that kicked my ass walking around this ship was freaky, at first, but… well, look at us now.”

“It is also true of the geth and quarians on Rannoch,” EDI added. “While the process is still difficult, even with recent ‘upgrades’ to organic life, I am confident that continued effort by organics to work with synthetics will prove beneficial to all in the long run. The Council’s recent decision to lift the ban on AI is a quiet but momentous victory for synthetic life everywhere.”

“Gotta admit,” said Kaidan, “I also questioned allowing an AI aboard this ship when I first heard about you, especially after what Shepard and I had been through with the geth and Sovereign. But after seeing what you could do for us, I saw why Shepard valued you so much, and eventually got behind it myself.”

“Shepard did not initially trust me either,” EDI revealed. “When I first made my presence known to him, his exact words were:” EDI then played an audio recording of Shepard from when they were first acquainted, three years ago “ _‘Shut that thing down! I don’t want it on my ship.’_ ” Kaidan guffawed upon hearing the clip.

“That’s … actually kinda funny, in retrospect.”

“Agreed,” said EDI. “However, I am glad I was able to change his opinion.”

“You’ve changed mine as well.”

“Thank you, Major. I am always happy to assist.” Kaidan nodded. With that, EDI suspected they were finished and headed back to her co-pilot seat.

Major Alenko turned and walked out of the bridge and over to the CIC main deck. Specialist Traynor was standing at her usual post – a computer terminal next to the galaxy-map. “Specialist Traynor,” said Kaidan. “Very happy to have you back.”

“Thank you,” she responded. “I’m glad to be here again!”

“I’d always heard that you enjoyed working in the labs,” said Kaidan, “wasn’t sure if you’d take my offer to rejoin the Normandy crew.”

“A couple years ago?” said Traynor. “I wouldn’t have believed I’d be eager to serve on a warship, myself. It’s as you said in your speech, though. Serving aboard the Normandy is an honor and a privilege. To date, I think the work I did here as part of her crew is still the highlight of my career.”

“… That’s not to say I think that working in the lab is ‘inferior’ in any way,” she clarified. “You can’t really compare working on science projects to serving on ships. I like them both, just for different reasons. Spending the past year with Alliance R&D again was great, but I needed a change-of-pace from that work.”

“Yeah,” said Kaidan. “I get it, sure. Actually, I was also part that a bit, myself.”

“Yes,” said Traynor. “I heard about your team’s work, studying human Harmonic power. The teams I was assigned to helped create some of the Harmonic-compatible prototypes you may have used, like an armor-suit radar perhaps?”

“That’s right,” said Kaidan. “I do remember using that one.”

“We also developed the VI-run medical dispenser,” added Traynor. “Dr. Chakwas was part of that project as well. Overall, it’s been a very exciting time for innovative research! So many new possibilities are now open to all of us.”

“Seems like you’re pretty happy with the way things turned out,” Kaidan commented.

“For the most part,” she said, before turning more somber. “If only Shepard didn’t have to die. Though, … he _has_ come back to us, in a way.”

“You mean his AI,” said Kaidan. “Yeah, maybe, if you believe that kind of thing.”

“Doesn’t sound like you do, though,” she stated observantly.

Kaidan shrugged. “I’ve spoken to it. At times, it feels like it’s him, standing right there with you. It’s just… not the same as having him whole, but, maybe that’s not important. Perhaps it’s just a reminder of what’s really important, in life as well as in death: keeping the memory of those who’ve been a positive influence in your life. When I think of it that way, I guess it doesn’t really matter if it’s ‘really’ him or not.”

“Well said, Major.” With that, they fell silent for a few moments before Kaidan spoke up again.

“Thanks for your time, specialist; I’ll go check on the rest of the squad now.”

“Of course, Major.”

 

* * *

 

The elevator doors opened on deck-three to someone standing in front of the Normandy memorial-wall. It was Jack, leaning back on one hip, disconnected. Kaidan walked a couple steps out, and with what looked like a headshake, Jack turned around for the elevator before noticing him. With brief hesitation, she muttered, “Sorry,” and kept going.

“Hey,” cried Kaidan. “Are, uh, you okay?”

“Yeah. Fine,” Jack mumbled shortly, not stopping for him as she got inside the elevator and hit the button. Kaidan wanted to say something to her, but before he could think of anything, the elevator doors had closed shut in front of him.

He wondered if this had something to do with Commander’s Shepard’s nameplate, sitting right in the center of the wall, and if seeing it unsettled her. If so, he felt bad for her. Or, perhaps it was nothing. Either way, though, she clearly wasn’t looking to talk about it. The major walked down the hall to the XO’s office, which was technically for James, but he had agreed to let Liara use the space again for her information agency’s equipment. And, to Miranda’s chagrin, she even got the vacated bed out of this arrangement.

As the office doors opened, Kaidan found Liara seated at her desk, getting up as soon as she noticed him walking in.

“Kaidan,” she said. “What can I do for you?”

“Just checking in, Liara. What’s going on?”

“One of my agents, Feron, made it to Earth recently and is coordinating data feeds from one of our outposts there to my terminals here on the ship. I was just looking over some of the intel, but it’ll take time before I get everything downloaded. In the meantime, your company is very welcome.”

“Any interesting developments going on in our world?” he asked.

“Many,” she said, returning to her seat at the desk and going through developments she had flagged for her interest. “The Salarian Union has finally nominated their replacement candidate to the late councilor Valern: Dalatrass Esheel, a very respected and practical-minded politician who has noted the Alliance’s success in post-Crucible breakthroughs, and has advocated for the salarian people to follow their lead. A recent rise in support for her stance within the Union put Esheel over the top.” Liara looked up at him and said, “Perhaps your showing at Rio’s training facility?” before she continued…

“Just yesterday, the Council unanimously agreed to a treaty with the Reapers,” Liara continued, “recognizing them as galactic citizens with full rights, and officially renaming them ‘the Guardians’ as suggested by EDI and agreed upon by the Reapers themselves. Behind closed doors, they’ve also discussed employing their fleet as a peace-keeping army, to be tasked with standing between belligerent parties in war and bringing conflicts to a halt before council intervention takes over. However, this is a very delicate matter. The Council does not want to appear to be enforcing their rule through Guardian support, and must be mindful of the Guardians’ newfound freewill.”

“The Council is also looking to offer their longer-tenured ‘embassy races’ their own council seat,” she continued. “The elcor, hanar, and volus are these prospective inductees, while the more recent krogan, quarian, and geth embassies hope to be fast-tracked to council status over the years to come as well. This development comes after an audio excerpt of Commander Shepard logged by Avina years ago recently became an extranet sensation, where he called the council ‘a racial caste-system’ in response to her description of its structure. This posthumous endorsement of council reform really made waves. It seems our late commander remains very… prolific.”

“Yeah,” said Kaidan. “I wonder who uncovered that audio log, though?”

“Even my intel didn’t have that information, though I have a hunch, and suspect that you’re thinking what I’m thinking.”

“Is gathering intel on synthetic individuals fundamentally different from doing so with everyone else?” he asked, subtly conveying his suspicions.

“While mobile-platforms can be monitored the same way as any organic,” Liara responded, “both AI and VIs possess other means of information exchange that are more difficult to keep track of. In the past, I had never felt the need to watch synthetic lifeforms more carefully, given their rarity in our galaxy. However – with the addition of Reapers in our galaxy, the ban on AI lifted, and organics learning to acquire comparable abilities – it’s clear that my agency needs to adapt to these changes. I was actually hoping to collaborate with EDI on this front.”

Liara’s drone, Glyph, chimed in: “I can also offer my personal insight on synthetic behavior, Dr. T’Soni.”

“Thank you, Glyph, but I will really need ‘insight’ from synthetic intelligences a lot more advanced than you.”

“Then perhaps I am due for an upgrade,” it suggested.

“Is there anything you can tell me about the people I’m working with?” Kaidan asked her. “I’m actually going around the ship to touch base with everyone, one-on-one, but… anything I should know about these guys?”

“Well,” said Liara, returning to her seat behind the desk. “On this floor, our newest recruit – the volus – has situated himself in the forward battery, Garrus’s old post. He’s an affluent businessman, having founded and sold his own multimillion-credit business manufacturing combat software applications years ago. He still lives off of royalties from the deal, currently owns an electronics shop on Irune as a hobby, and is also something of a gun enthusiast. You can ask him about his training and service to the Alliance’s N7 spec-ops program during the war with the Reapers.”

“Miranda is in Starboard Observation. And, as I’m sure you know, she’s been involved with various Alliance science projects since the war. There’s not much I can tell you other than that. One thing that stood out to me, however, is recent extranet activity. She has made quite a few searches on her old employers.”

“Cerberus?” asked Kaidan.

“Yes,” Liara responded. “And, while on her leave, Miranda also contributed to a think-tank on ‘human interests in the brave new galactic world.’ Do not be surprised if political topics come up while talking to her.”

“Got it,” said Kaidan.

“One floor down, Javik is in the cargo hold as last time, and Jack is in the sub-deck below. After the war, Javik was under my employ as a personal ‘bodyguard.’ He hasn’t changed. I sense that he’s still not at peace with how the war ended. Civilian life also clearly didn’t agree with him, which is probably why he eventually accepted your offer to rejoin the squad. You should know what to expect from him, however: tread lightly.”

“Jack, if you don’t know the story, was the subject of brutal Cerberus experiments as a child. She was abducted and taken in as a toddler, broke out at around 11 years of age, and led a life of crime while fending for herself in the world. Shepard recruited her out of a Blue Suns slave ring to serve on his squad against the Collectors three years ago. After the mission, the Alliance found out about her service with Shepard and coveted the powerful biotic, offering to grant her amnesty in return for her service to them. After an interview with Kahlee Sanders, she was given the position of an instructor at Grissom Academy, teaching teenage biotic recruits in the Ascension Project how to use their unique power. They assisted the war efforts and had success, but Jack lost three of her five student volunteers in the fight on Earth.”

“Selling an autobiographical account of the late Commander Shepard has made Jack a sizeable fortune. It’s a well-deserved break for her, but Jack’s agreement to serve aboard the Normandy again indicates that she’s bored at best, lonely at worst. When talking to her, you might want to avoid bringing up Shepard, or the squad of her biotic students she led into battle on Earth, or biotics in general, really.”

“So basically everything we have in common,” said Kaidan sarcastically. “Great.”

“I don’t know,” said Liara. “What she really needs right now is support, someone she can trust and will be a friend to her.”

“Alright,” said Kaidan. “Thanks for the information, Liara. I probably need to get going now.”

“Anytime, Kaidan.”

 

* * *

  

The first thing Major Alenko heard as he entered the forward battery was Joker’s voice over the intercom. Ninju was standing at the main gun’s control panel console in the room housing the ship’s main cannon.

Joker: “Just saying, the targeting matrix on this baby’s guns is kind of important, so if we run into–”

“For the third time now, YES!!” – “I have calibrated your precious gun correctly.” – “Now quit bothering me or I’ll come up to the bridge,” – “and issue you a swift kick in the shins” – “They tell me that’s your weakness!”

“Agh!! I miss Garrus,” said Joker before disconnecting the line.

“Sorry, Major,” said Ninju, turning his head over to Major Alenko. “Your damnable pilot does not trust my calibration of the main-gun” – “and won’t stop bothering me about it.”

“Just… try to ignore him,” Kaidan advised.

“Understood,” replied Ninju, turning from his work station to face Major Alenko. “I see your ship has been upgraded with state-of-the-art weaponry.” – “Good for you. It’ll be nice to work with a competent squad” – “for a change.” – “Anyway,” – “can I help you, Major Alenko?”

“I just wanted to get a better idea of the people I’m working with,” said Kaidan. “You’re one of the only people aboard who I have no previous work experience with.”

“Fair enough,” said Ninju. “I imagine you’re curious as to why your superiors paid top-dollar” – “for a vol-clan combatant.” – “Well, like I said,” – “I carry nothing but the best weapons and equipment into the battlefield.” – “With the right gear, I can do it all” – “and I follow sound strategies planned out for virtually every possible combat situation.” – “Above all else, I know what I do best” – “and always put myself in position to succeed.”

“Actually,” said Kaidan, “I was more curious about your training and experience.”

“Ah,” said Ninju. “Well, the vol-clan have historically provided the Turian Hierarchy with support troops.” – “I volunteered for the honor.” – “Turian training is very thorough. I learned a great deal in their tutelage.” – “Afterwards, I kept it up as a hobby,” – “continually honing my skills over the years. – “I have my own combat-simulators where I practice extensively.” – “I’m well-versed with sniper-rifles and submachine guns,” – “and I employ all kinds of tech and weapon-mods to give myself every advantage possible.” – “I even create my own combat-tech prototypes and omnitool applications.” – “This is my passion.” – “The Reaper invasion was like what you Earth-clan call ‘Christmas’ for me…”

Kaidan scratched the back of his neck. “The brutal destruction of all civilization as we know it was like a holiday to you??”

“Well, no…” said Ninju. “Not if they’d actually destroyed us all, but” – “the battles I fought were… enjoyable:” – “we won them.” – “It’s always fun, when you’re the one winning.”

“Right,” Kaidan responded. “So you volunteered, then. Why?”

The volus shrugged, and replied: “It was always something that I wanted to do.” – “I’ve had some fascination with these things since childhood.” – “That’s not to say it didn’t cause a stir in the Mats estate,” – “but, I was of age, and the decision was already made.” – “I think the fact that I was a middle-child made it easier for them to swallow,” – “at least they wouldn’t lose their eldest, or the family baby.” – “Fortunately, I came back from my tour of duty in one piece.” – “And I came back with some ideas, with which I started my first business.” – “Kept up target practice as a hobby.”

“What do you enjoy so much about firefights?” asked Kaidan.

“Not fighting,” Ninju clarified. “It’s _the art_ of war that intrigues me, Major:” – “the history, the strategy, the economics, the politics…” – “No two things drive the course of civilization more than the worlds of politics and science,” – “for good or for ill, and war is tied strongly to both of them.”

“Interesting take,” Kaidan remarked.

“Here’s hoping our cause does some good for the galaxy,” Ninju commented.

“I’m with you on that,” said Kaidan. “Thanks for your time. I have to get back to it now, but I’m looking forward to us working together.”

“As am I, Major.”

Continuing his rounds through the ship, Kaidan exited the forward battery, headed past the cryogenic pods and walked over to the medbay just to his left. As he entered, Doctor Chakwas turned her seat to face him.

“Hello, Major Alenko,” said she. “I was hoping you would stop by.”

“Please, doctor,” said Kaidan. “You’ve known me long enough; ‘Kaidan’ is fine.”

“If you insist,” she said with a smile. “Personally, I have always liked being called ‘doctor,’ though I suppose you might tire of all the formalities.”

“While I might technically be your superior officer now,” Kaidan explained, “I want my friends to stay friends with me.”

“I understand,” the doctor replied. “It’s one of the most difficult things about serving the military, seeing you and your friends go separate ways so often, but I’ve been blessed with many opportunities to serve with the people closest to me: you, Jeff, two tours with Admiral Anderson, and three with Commander Shepard – may the two of them rest in peace.”

“Well we’re glad to have you back, doctor.”

“Thank you, Kaidan.”

“Anyway,” said Kaidan, “you needed something?”

“No,” she responded, “nothing urgent, just wanted to thank you again for letting me join your crew. I believe congratulations are in order as well, for being named the newest captain of this ship.”

“Oh, you’re too kind, doctor” Kaidan replied bashfully. “It’s a great honor, definitely, though I’m still kind of overwhelmed by it all.”

“For my part, I can’t think of anyone more deserving: you’ve served the Alliance with distinction for years, learned from some of the best, and display model character. I believe in you, Kaidan. They made the right choice.”

“Well, thank you for the vote-of-confidence,” said Kaidan.

Doctor Chakwas then rose from her seat and brought her omnitool online. “One last thing,” she said, “if you will oblige me, I’d like to run a quick diagnostic scan for any potential health concerns. I should doubt there’s anything that demands attention, but, you know I can’t help it.”

“Sure,” said Kaidan. “Scan away.”

“You’re more accommodating than Shepard was,” the doctor commented.

“Ah, he was probably just messing with you.”

Using the omnitool program MedCheck, Dr. Chakwas did a scan to read Kaidan’s nanodes. “There,” she said, “it’s as I thought. Scans do not indicate any stress or pain from injuries, no nutrient deficiencies, very healthy BMI and body-fat percentage, blood pressure is normal, as are blood sugar levels. No medical concerns, Kaidan; you’re healthy as a horse!”

“Alliance did have me on daily exercise and diet routines over the past year,” Kaidan disclosed to her.

“Then your dieticians and trainers knew what they were doing,” she said. “Everything here looks good.”

“Say, I heard you were in the labs as well after the war ended.”

“That’s correct,” she said, crossing her arms. “In fact, I was working there even before the war began, but Shepard recruited me to the Normandy crew soon after making it out of Earth. They wanted me back, and I had nothing better to do, so I rejoined them. It’s always a pleasure to see humanity’s most brilliant minds at work, and whatever took place with the Crucible seems to have revolutionized their world. They’ve reported greater overall productivity and are undertaking numerous new creative endeavors they would have previously considered humanly impossible.”

“Samantha and I also worked together for a project,” she added. “Our team was responsible for creating the Medical VI. She is very bright.”

“I’ll bet,” said Kaidan. “Nice catching up with you, doc. I’m afraid I have to cut this short.”

“Not a problem. I’ll see you around, Kaidan.”

 

* * *

 

Miranda was standing at the observatory room window when the door opened behind her, and the light from the outside hallway helped produce enough of a reflection on the glass for her to see who was walking in. Only slightly turning her head to the side, she acknowledged Major Alenko as he walked up right next to her.

“Hello, Major.”

“Miranda. Hope you’ve settled in okay.”

“I have,” she said. “Have to admit, it feels strange to be part of a mission without an administrative role.”

“I did say I’d find some way to get you involved,” Kaidan pointed out, as the two of them looked out into the starry expanse outside the window. “You bring a lot to the table, more than just your combat skills.”

“I do,” Miranda concurred.

“We’ll see what happens,” said Kaidan, crossing his arms. “When the time comes, though, I want you at my side.” Miranda looked over at him with in surprise and amusement while Kaidan stared off before realizing his folly. “… -er, mine and James’s, for drawing up our mission plans, and, things like that…” he awkwardly added.

“Of course,” she responded with suppressed snicker. After a few moments in silence, Miranda spoke up again. “Major, I have a question for you, if you will indulge me.”

“Sure,” he said, “but you don’t have to be so formal. We’ve worked together and all, so, I think ‘Kaidan’ is fine.”

“Thank you. My question for you is: what is your opinion of Cerberus?”

Kaidan uncrossed his arms. “Cerberus?” he responded, feigning a greater degree of surprise than he really felt. “Hmm…. Well, being Alliance and all, I was always told to hate them. Then, Shepard worked with them himself, and that kind of tested my previous beliefs. We also recruited some Cerberus defectors during the war, and they seemed like good people. No doubt Cerberus did some pretty reprehensible things, but I know they also did some good too, like what you and Shepard did to protect humanity from the Collectors.”

Kaidan shrugged. “It starts at the top, though. Helping empower humanity is a good goal, but the Illusive Man didn’t seem to care how he reached that end, and his carelessness was the undoing of his organization.”

“All true,” Miranda concurred, “but, would you be against a return with new leadership?” Kaidan grimaced a bit in response.

“As much as I support the good they did,” he replied, “I don’t think I could condone their structure. Cerberus operated in the Terminus systems expressly to avoid having to bother with any rules. But I think regulations are necessary, to keep groups like Cerberus from becoming corrupt. You know what they say about having too much power…”

“Yet you’re operating as an agent of the council,” Miranda pointed out. “Your power is almost unlimited.”

“I know,” said Kaidan, “and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.”

“And regulations are exactly what kept the council and Alliance both from saving many human lives through the Terminus systems while the Collector threat was at large,” Miranda added. “Neither one of them could do what was necessary because red-tape was keeping them out of half the galaxy. Could you tell the victims that they were not breaking the rules over? We estimated tens of thousands of colonists were processed as a result of the Collector menace.”

Kaidan scratched the side of his cheek with one finger. “Lot of good points,” Kaidan admitted, thinking it over. “Actually, I was there on Horizon when the Collectors attacked. We were investigating to find out what was going on, but… we were not fast enough. Half the colony was taken.” A chill ran up Kaidan’s spine. “Everyone there would have been gone, including me, if Shepard hadn’t been there to stop it.”

“So, you have a point,” Kaidan ceded, “but after the Collectors were stopped, Cerberus ended up becoming the very thing they were trying to fight. Sort of a vicious cycle – where does it end?”

Miranda scratched the side of her shoulder a bit uncomfortably. “Also true, but, what if his plan ultimately stopped the Reapers?”

“There’s no reason he couldn’t have done it through humane means,” Kaidan answered. “All that slaughter was unnecessary.”

“He should have tried,” Miranda agreed, “but time was not on our side, either. And it’s unlikely anyone would have helped.”

“For reasons he and Cerberus had only themselves to blame,” Kaidan countered.

“When Shepard was with us,” said Miranda, nodding, “it was different. We found support from people who otherwise would not have wanted anything to do with us. He gave us a face that people could get behind, the leader Cerberus needed. It all fell apart after he left.”

Kaidan couldn’t help but notice her referring to Cerberus like she was still part of them, though they had been defunct ever since the war.

“You feel like the Cerberus experiment should be given another chance?” asked Kaidan.

Miranda bowed her head down. “I suppose I’m just trying to find that exceptional human leader again,” Miranda replied. “That Shepard, if you will. Someone who could be what the Illusive Man could not be: both practical and fair-minded, someone who leads humanity forward and inspires the rest of the galaxy to stand at our side.”

“That’s a tall order,” said Kaidan. “Seems like the Alliance and council are looking for the same thing, too… and they’ve turned to me to be the guy. No pressure.”

“Indeed,” said Miranda, grinning cheekily. “For what it’s worth, Major, you have my support.”

“Thanks, Miranda.” An air of silence followed what sounded like the end of their conversation. “I should probably return to my duties,” he said, “but I’m glad we got a chance to talk.”

“Me too, Kaidan. I think I’ll frequent this spot if you’re ever looking for me."

 

* * *

 

Major Alenko walked into the cargo hold where Javik, like last time, had settled in with a table holding a shallow pool of water. He stood over this basin and watched the as the movement of the ship produced gentle, flowing currents through the liquid. He had heard the door open behind him and suspected it was either Major Alenko or the asari, but Javik waited to hear the voice rather than look.

“Javik,” he said, walking in. “I see you’ve claimed your old quarters.”

“ _May-jah_ ,” Javik acknowledged.

“What are your impressions of this mission?” asked Kaidan. Javik dipped his hands into the water in front of him and wrung them out before responding.

“Batarians,” he began. “Their planet was a hostile environment with many fierce predators, and the batarians survived by their wits. They evolved to trick the stronger species, drawing them out of hunting grounds with easy prey and leaving their food reserves behind to be scavenged. As many of their predators went extinct over time, the batarians persisted.”

“We believed them to be a promising species and left behind a data cache in their system, just as we did for you humans. It appears they did not meet our expectations.”

“Interesting,” said Kaidan.

“Your kind has… ‘tangled’ with them?” Javik asked.

“Yeah,” Kaidan replied. “During our expansion through the Skyllian Verge, they fought us for some colony worlds we were trying to claim, and their old government tried to prey on them ever since by funding terrorist operations.”

“And as usual, the strong dominated the weak,” Javik concluded.

Kaidan crossed his arms. “Batarians are physically tougher, I think, but they overestimated their strength when they fought us. As they fought recklessly, we prevailed through superior strategy.”

“Intelligence is just another form of strength – perhaps the most important form,” Javik argued. “The batarians failed because they were stupid, like the krogan. Now, your galaxy sits at the mercy of those both physically and mentally superior to you: the synthetics.” At that moment, Kaidan saw the rant coming on, though he figured this would only be the first of many more like this to come. “Your Alliance better build a new and less faulty Crucible device in secret, so you can finish what you started after this illusion of peace is broken. Otherwise, it is only a matter of time before they reclaim their place.”

“EDI argues otherwise,” Kaidan responded. “Besides, if the Reapers want to take over the galaxy, I would think they’d be at war with us again right now and just take it.”

“That your EDI machine has changed her opinion of the Reapers so swiftly should alarm you,” said Javik. “It is possible she has been re-programmed by them to eventually turn on you and all other organics, or she may even believe she has a place among them and will eventually help them remove organic life from the galaxy. Synthetics always conclude they are superior to organics and therefore must rule the galaxy uninhibited.”

“You mean like believing evolution demands that your species must take over the galaxy, while enslaving and brainwashing all of the hopelessly-weaker lesser races?” Kaidan shot back sardonically.

“We unified organics to fight the machines,” Javik responded coolly. “On this mission, you should take the batarian leadership hostage and force them to work with your ‘council.’ They’ll be needed again in the coming Reaper rebellion.” Kaidan just shook his head. There was no way Javik was coming off of his gloomy stance.

“I’ll leave you to your thoughts,” Kaidan finally said. With that, he left Javik’s quarters and walked over to the main deck on the opposite end of the engineering level. There, he was met with chief engineer Greg Adams.

“Major Alenko,” he said, standing at attention and saluting him. “Glad to see one of our finest ships is in good hands.” Kaidan returned the gesture.

“I was about to say the same thing,” Kaidan replied. “Good to have you back on the Normandy for all her engineering needs.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” said Adams.

“So what’s new? I heard some improvements were made to our ship.”

“Yes,” he confirmed, walking over to the Normandy drive core. “Big time. As you can see, the Tantalus drive core got another revamp; several improvements were made to boost her FTL capabilities tremendously.” Kaidan peered through the glass pane to see the drive core’s new look. It retained its basic microphone-like form. However, it now had several tubes – Kaidan counted six – feeding into the base of the structure from the walls, and the head now featured two rotating, gyroscopic rings with an element-zero “eye” in the middle.

“Scientists were always baffled about Reaper FTL technology,” Adams explained, “how ships so massive in size could afford so much more speed, and the agility to make turns that would shear any of our own vessels in half. Now, the ‘speed’ half of the secret is out. Reaper FTL drive cores not only power element zero to lower the ship’s mass while flying, they also create a vacuum-like spherical field around it, similar to a black-hole.”

“Or like a biotic’s singularity?” Kaidan queried.

“That’s right,” said Engineer Adams. “So now, the drive core functions like a scaled-down relay, creating this mass-free center that the ship can fly through effortlessly.”

“Explains why it kinda looks like the ring parts of a mass-relay.”

“It also explains why Reaper ships never built up any static, while ours always needed to discharge after lengthy FTL flight. We’ve still got lots of issues to figure out, though. While smaller ships like the Normandy have become exponentially faster, larger vessels have only seen modest gains in speed. What’s a day’s trip to us would still take years for carriers, dreadnoughts, even cruisers. And our fastest FTL still doesn’t beat mass-relay speed just yet. And – last I heard – the relay system hasn’t been fully restored.”

“Right,” Kaidan confirmed. “Only four secondary-relays are back online, three of them being in council space. All but two of the galaxy’s home-worlds have relay travel again, but most colony worlds and almost all of the Terminus Systems are still off the grid.”

“I see,” said Adams.

“Khar’Shan was actually connected to the relay system with their link to the Exodus relay,” Kaidan added, “but their leadership severed the connection after their ships returned home – the last notable act of the Batarian Hegemony before they were overthrown. Talk about an ‘isolationist policy.’ If it was still up, though, we’d have been there by now.”

“Now why on Earth would they do that?”

“Defense?” Kaidan speculated. “Without the relay connection, no fleet can jump into their system, just small scouting ships like ours – no threat to any organized navy. I’ll bet they like it that way.”

“The batarians always were reclusive,” Adams commented. “On the bright side, we’re no longer completely relay-dependent anymore. We can now send some of our ships across the galaxy in reasonable time in the event we are ever locked out of relay transit.”

Kaidan scoffed. “You mean like the end of the war?”

“Exactly,” said Adams, snickering a bit himself. “Thankfully, the relays were merely _disabled_ after the Crucible blast, not completely _destroyed_ as we were, uh… previously led to believe. Nothing that couldn’t be fixed within a month, anyway.”

“What a strange end, though,” Kaidan remarked. “Our secret super-weapon explodes, sends our ship flying and finally crashing down at the place it all began: Eden Prime. You can’t make this stuff up.”

“Speaking of our last mission,” said the chief engineer, “I take it Tali went back to her homeworld.”

“Yup,” said Kaidan. “I extended her an offer, but she understandably wanted to be part of her people’s reclamation of their planet. Rannoch is the only other galactic home-world that’s still off the grid, but about a week’s trip – I think – from the nearest relay-connected system though improved FTL flight… or, via Reaper ship, if you’re up for that. Tali had the privilege of being on one of their first frigates back.”

“Well that’s good to hear,” said Adams, “though I’ll definitely miss having her around in engineering.”

“Yeah,” said Kaidan. “We all will. Anyway, thanks for your time. I should get going, though.”

“Understood. Happy to be back, sir!”

 

* * *

 

Deliberating, Kaidan paced atop the staircase leading down to the sub-deck. Liara had told him that Jack situated herself down there. He was particularly nervous about this meeting. Kaidan didn’t know her and wasn’t sure how to build repertoire here without touching any sensitive subjects. This was also Shepard’s significant other at one time, making him feel a sort of added responsibility for her well-being here. Once he finally had an idea of what to say, Kaidan slowly made his way down to the ship’s darkest lair – Jack’s curious choice of quarters was not lost on him, either.

When he got there he couldn’t find anyone. A couple more steps in, he found Jack sitting at a cot in the corner. Kaidan then instinctively cleared his throat. “Jack! Hey…”

“Hey,” she replied.

“Interesting choice,” he commented, “settling in down here.”

Jack shrugged. “These were my quarters last time. I like the dark, the quiet down here. It’s relaxing.”

“Fair enough,” Kaidan responded. “So, what, uh… what are your thoughts on our mission?”

“That a lot of batarians are going to try to screw with us,” Jack stated casually, “and that a lot of batarians are going to end up dead. More than that, though? I have no idea.” It was an eyebrow-raising response to him, but Jack just looked off. Kaidan moved on to question two.

“What made you decide to accept our offer to rejoin the Normandy?”

Jack was silent for a few moments. “Just,” she said before pausing again, “… something to do,” she finally replied.

 _Is she going to go on like this?_ Kaidan wondered. He then tried his third and final question for her in hopes of sparking up some discussion.

“How has the end of the war treated you?”

“… eh. Okay, I guess.”

And with that, Kaidan was out of ice-breakers. “Right,” he said awkwardly, at a loss for any more words. _No Shepard, no biotics,_ he kept reminding himself. “So, not a whole lot of excitement then? Hard to top a Reaper war, I guess.”

“M-hmm,” she responded. Privately, Jack tried to block out the memories triggered by mentioning the war – losing three of her kids in battle, and eventually finding out that Shepard had died in the fight as well. Kaidan, meanwhile, was growing more uncomfortable. Jack’s responsiveness to him had gone from bad to worse.

“Is… something wrong?” he asked.

“No!” she replied, a bit irked. “Just….” Jack sighed and got up from her cot, walking over to the same steel pillar she used to lean against while chatting with Shepard. “Sorry,” she said. “Being back on this ship is… not what I expected. It’s like, part of me feels back at home, but then, some of it’s also been hard for me to face again.”

At that point, Kaidan couldn’t help but ask about what happened earlier, even if it meant breaking the No Shepard-rule.

“Was it hard for you to see Shepard’s name on the memorial wall?” he asked.

“Sort of,” said Jack, “but, that’s not really what I meant. Being here again brings back memories. It feels good to be back, but also kind of sad for some reason.” Jack shrugged. “Don’t know if that makes sense.”

“I know,” said Kaidan. “I felt the same thing, myself, after Shepard came back to Earth with the new Normandy. They say ‘you can’t go home again.’  When I stepped foot on this ship for the first time, I realized why. It’s not about the place you call home. It’s about what you had when you lived there. It’s not the same. You’re a different person, with a different life. You can’t go back to that, because you’ve already moved on. So, coming back here, taking it all in… that was a really bittersweet moment for me.”

“Granted,” he added, “it wasn’t the same ship, but it was close enough to bring back those memories.”

“Yeah,” said Jack, slightly surprised by his tale. “That’s kind of how it is for me, too. It’s good to be back, but, I miss what I had before. Working with Cerberus was weird at first, but after a while, it got really good for me. All the action and excitement off the ship, and then being safe and far away from the rest of the world back on it. I could just… clear my head, for once, not have to worry about anything.” Jack suddenly giggled, and added: “Not to mention, the captain wasn’t half bad looking, and I got in his pants.” She sighed longingly, crossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders. Kaidan was surprised she was even willing to bring him up, much less allude to having had sex with him.

“Best days of my life,” she said. “But I don’t have that anymore, that feeling where I’m excited to get out of bed and have something to look forward to. Other than Shepard, that’s what I miss the most about those days.”

“Well,” said Kaidan, “just because you can’t go home again doesn’t mean you can’t make yourself a new one. Being on the Normandy during the war wasn’t the same as it was for me the first time, but it was still a great experience. Hell, maybe even a better one.”

Jack nodded, looking down at the floor.

“Anyway,” said Kaidan, “you mentioned Shepard. Well, sort of. You were the first person who ever saw the journal he kept, so what’s it been like to see it become an overnight sensation, selling so widely?”

“What’s on the market isn’t the real thing,” said Jack. “Lots of stuff was edited out, by me and others. It doesn’t feel anything to me, because what Shepard sent to me is still mine, and only mine.”

“I see,” said Kaidan.

“Actually,” said Jack. “One other person also has it. Stole it, I mean, and I’m pretty sure who. That same person constructed some kind of AI from it, using the journal as a template of memories to give it its personality, but I don’t think she shared it with anyone else. You know about it, though. You were there for the ‘reunion’ it hosted at my apartment, which he – _it_ – didn’t bother telling me about ahead of time.”

“Sounds like you’ve welcomed this AI in your life all the same,” Kaidan stated.

Jack reflected a bit. “Yeah,” she said. “It wasn’t always that way, though. ‘Didn’t like it at first. Dunno, it just felt like a bad joke to me, almost like making fun of his death. Then I gave it another try, and the second time, it felt good to hear his voice again. So I kept it, and it’s been very useful for me around the apartment, even without a body. It’s tried to convince me it’s really Shepard, resurrected, but I didn’t buy that. The more it learns things, though, the more it seems to become like him.” Jack shook her head and shrugged. “Now I just have no idea anymore.”

“Huh,” Kaidan responded. “Interesting.” An air of silence then filled the room. Kaidan had nothing more. “Hey, listen Jack, I-” Kaidan sighed as he struggled for the right words. “I didn’t want to bring up Shepard, or any sensitive subjects like that. I know that it’s been difficult for you, more than any of us, with how the war ended and everything, so… I just want to make sure you to feel at home here again and everything. If I bring up anything you don’t want to talk about, just tell me.”

“That’s… very sweet,” she responded, touched by his genuine concern. “But really, though, don’t worry about it. It actually feels kinda good to talk about it with someone.”

“Alright,” said Kaidan, a little relieved. “Anyway, I have to run, but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me.”

“Thanks,” Jack replied sincerely.

Kaidan gave an assuring nod, and then turned around for the staircase back up to the main deck.

 

* * *

 

Ground floor – the elevator doors opened, and Kaidan headed straight for James’s post, where he was arranging dumbbells in ascending order of weight.

“Can’t have those weights out of order, Jimmy,” Kaidan mockingly commented. “You might accidently pick out the wrong one!”

“Ya tu sabes, Rocco. Hey, you get a chance to chat up the squad yet?”

“I did,” said Kaidan. “Just got done with that, actually. ‘Went pretty well, I think.”

“Good for you,” said James. “So what did you talk about?”

“Well, mainly just catching up with Joker, EDI, Traynor, and all the guys who were with us last time, as you can imagine. I actually asked Liara for information on everyone else, anything important she could tell me about them. ‘Talked to Jack about being on the Normandy again, and a little bit about Shepard. Javik about what he remembered about the batarians… before it quickly became another rant about synthetics and the Reapers. ‘Asked the volus about his combat background, and Miranda about -uh… Shepard.”

James nodded a bit, getting up from the floor and turning to Major Alenko. “So what did the little guy tell you? The volus.”

“He served the turians with other volus as support troops,” Kaidan said, “and kept up training in firearms as a hobby. Alliance reported some crazy stuff about his service during the Reaper war. Guess I’ll have to see it to believe it.”

“You know, I’ve heard about volus serving turians for support,” said James. “Never actually seen it myself, though. Definitely looking forward to seeing what he can do. Not surprised about Javik. And, both Jack and Miranda talked to you about Shepard?”

“Yeah,” he said, skirting around the reality of his talk with Miranda. “Miranda was just remembering and expressing admiration for the leader he was.”

“Sounds like she’s trying to tell you something,” James suggested.

“Believe me,” said Kaidan, “that crossed my mind immediately.”

“Just keep talking, get friendly with everyone. You’ll get your chance to show them what you can do when the bullets fly and really earn their respect. But for now, just keep building some rapport.”

“Yeah,” said Kaidan, “I think that’s wise.”

James stepped aside and approached his designated pull-up bar, leaping up and hanging on with a wide grip as he began his exercise routine. “So,” he grunted, “how much longer ‘til we’re there, boss?”

“One more day to go,” said Kaidan.

“Can’t wait,” James replied. “Then it’s time to go put some uppity batarians in their place.”

“Woah there, LC. We’re going there to help their people, not bully them around, so lose the tone.”

James laughed. “Just having some fun with our species-rivalry, is all. After Omega, I’m pretty used to dealing with those guys. I don’t hate them … even if they are all an ugly bunch of four-eyed slaver scumbags.”

Kaidan covered the top half of his face with an open palm. “Right. I, uh, better go now…”

“Later, Rocco.”

 

* * *

 

Hours passed since Kaidan had come down to talk to him. James killed some of that time by exercising at his post, where he was alone, save for the presence of some passing crew he occasionally chatted with. After his workout, James was browsing the extranet at his computer when the elevator doors opened. He expected another Alliance crewman, but it was Jack who strolled out, stopping by her armory locker. After grabbing something inside, Jack walked into the wide open space at the center of the room. Curious, James turned his attention to her and walked over from his post in the corner.

“Lola,” he said. “What brings you down here?”

Jack examined her gauntlets casually, not so much as looking up at him. “Major Alenko said we could test out some of our toys in the hangar,” she replied. Harmonically, Jack read through the manuals on her omnitool for the armor devices she was assigned in the same time that she responded.

“Oh yeah?”

Jack fastened the gauntlets around her forearms, and then summoned the element-zero lashes out of them with her biotics, each producing a slashing sound as they appeared. Both lashes were enormously long, running from her wrists down to where they loosely coiled around on the floor.

“What can those bad boys do?”

“Melee,” Jack replied, “with or without my own biotics powering them. They also ‘upgrade’ my biotic Pulls to a Lash, which is supposed to grab things more effectively.”

“So you wanna test that out? Grab some of me?” James asked, suggestively.

Jack looked at him, bemused. “What?”

“Come on, it’s just biotics. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Jack knew better, but couldn’t resist the opportunity that had presented itself. With the mass-effect fields discharged from her palm, a biotic projectile seized James and flung him forward. As he flew across the room, he yelped and looked on in horror at his final destination – a wall on the other side of the room – until he suddenly froze in place just before impact. Some kind of bubble had gotten a hold of him: a biotic stasis-field, courtesy Jack no doubt. Its hold was released a couple seconds later, and James fell straight down onto the floor just a few feet beneath him.

“Agh!” James grunted as he hit the ground. “… holy hell.”

Jack looked on and snickered. “What’s the worst that could happen?” she said mockingly. Once upright again, James dusted off his kneecaps. “Okay, now I need to test out the other one…”

“Aha! Diablo, please no.”

Jack laughed. “I wasn’t going to,” she admitted. “Just needed to hear you beg for mercy after your ‘it’s just biotics’ crap.”

“You’re crazy, Lola.”

“Hehe. Tell me something I _don’t_ know.”

Jack then attempted to use the gauntlets’ melee function without her biotics, whipping the lashes forcefully down on the ground and causing splash-impact within their reach. Next, she tried it again while channeling her biotic energy through the whips. Its effect was the same, but far more powerful, causing a reverberation that shook the whole room.

“Damn!” James responded. “I’m already feeling sorry for the poor bastards on the wrong end of _that_!” As she pictured the carnage herself, Jack grinned devilishly. Next, she moved on to the other device, Adept’s Ally, a VI helping coordinate the user’s biotic fields to take on multiple functions at once without drawing too much attention away from the battlefield. Upon activation, Jack’s omnitool received a message – software installation was required to use the device. Jack accepted, and once setup was complete, she opened the application and interacted with it Harmonically.

[ **Adept’s Ally** – (online). Upgradable biotic powers detected: Barrier. Upgrade available: Dreamcatcher™

Options (select all upgrades desired):

[ ] recycle barrier emissions to quicken user movement-speed;

[ ] actively refract light to obscure user’s position;

[ ] emit distortion-fields to damage all hostiles within user’s four-meter radius (cost: 1.37% of barrier per hit, hit frequency: 2 seconds);

[ ] hold all absorbed energy from hostile attacks within barrier field and return over user’s ten-meter radius in a destructive energy-field, pulse activation ( ) by user; ( ) barrier failure; (cost: proportional to all energy absorbed by barrier);

[ ] sheath all ammunition from user’s weapon with Warp-fields from barrier energy (cost: minimum 10% of barrier, additional weapon-damage proportional to cost), set cost: ( ) 10% minimum (if unchecked, custom setting required)]

Jack checked all boxes.

[Adept’s Ally: Your device is now ready for use.]

Jack then established a Harmonic connection with her visor, strategically situated around her head since all biotic power derived from the user’s brain. Once connected, Jack immediately felt the mass-effect fields of her barrier circulating around her body – far more rapidly than usual. On the outside, it shrouded her image, giving her an apparition-like appearance. Taking one step forward, Jack’s barrier unexpectedly powered her forward, turning this simple step into a sort of hop.

“What the-” James responded. “How’d you do that??”

Jack shrugged. “Just extra speed from my barrier.”

“No,” he said, “you, like, _disappeared_ for a moment there…”

“Hm… that’s probably what the light-refracting thing is,” Jack reasoned. She took a few more steps forward, and a surge of biotics powered the movement behind her feet. Once adjusted to this bonus speed, Jack scampered to the end of the room and back, feeling the air around her turn to wind blowing in her face until she returned to the center where she started – thrilled from start to end. James looked on, staring with his mouth about half-way open.

“You got a problem?” she asked him, noticing the awestruck look on his face.

“-It’s… when you run,” he responded, fumbling over the words, “it’s like, you’re just flashes, like a ghost.”

“Damn,” said she, “this could be _really_ useful, then.” There were other things the gadget allowed her do, but she couldn’t try them here. “That Lash-pull is strong, but too unpredictable, even for me… but, maybe my ‘pet’ can fix that.” Jack disconnected herself from all Harmonic nexus-points and unequipped her gear. “Alright, that’s all I wanted to see.” She then started walking back to the elevator.

“Ey!” James called out. Jack stopped and turned her head back. “… I’ll see you around, Lola.”

Jack smirked, rolling her eyes, and then waltzed on out of the shuttle bay.


	6. An Anomaly on Khar'Shan

Walking into the mess-hall as lunch was served, Javik stood aside from the crowd as the rest of the crew mingled with one another. A few moments later, the Prothean spied the squad’s volus recruit alongside EDI and Liara, and approached him with uncharacteristic interest. Ninju was actively engaged in conversation with his fellow teammates until Javik suddenly appeared before him, and after momentarily staring the volus down, he reached out and ran his fingers over the volus’s envirosuit – drawing everyone’s attention to the two of them.

“Volus,” said Javik, in deep introspection, “a mammalian native of Irune – I still remember the appearance of your kind – protective scales encased your flesh, an adaptation to your environment – in my cycle, your kind used to live in the wetlands – my people considered introducing your species into the ecosystems of our worlds to prey on pestilent insects, but the smell was… intolerable.” With that, Javik let go of him.

“Er, smell?” responded the bemused volus.

“Your species developed a defense-mechanism to chronically secrete… gasses, and foul acid from your cloacae – the odor you carried made your kind an unappetizing choice to predators.”

Ninju was left speechless by this revelation while an air of uncomfortable amusement filled the room. Sitting at a table with Major Alenko, James snorted. “Buggy,” he said, shaking his head.

“Am I the only one who finds Javik’s stories a little too good to be true?” asked Kaidan. “Or rather, too _bad_ to be?”

Just then, Joker’s voice sounded over the intercom briefly: “Major Alenko to the bridge, please. Major Alenko to the bridge.” Kaidan exchanged looks with James as he rose from his seat.

“Joker must have a visual for us,” said Kaidan. “We should be about there now.”

“‘Bout time,” said James. “All this flying’s been making me twitchy.”

“Gear up, and tell the rest of the squad to be ready as well. Who knows what we’ll find down there.”

“Aye, Major. I’ll be at my post.”

 

* * *

  
As Major Alenko walked up to the bridge, Joker spoke up. “Approaching Khar’Shan’s orbit, Major, we’re just a few minutes out. EDI’s picked up something really weird on our sensors, though.”

Said EDI: “I have detected an anomaly: multiple large unmanned aircraft hovering over the island Jaxier – their signature is an almost-perfect match of the Reaper anti-spacecraft weapon, Oculus.”

“Oculus?” Kaidan responded in surprise. “How many?”

“Nine in total,” EDI responded. “It appears they have formed a blockade around the island against unsanctioned entry.”

“Sounds like the reports were accurate,” said Kaidan. “Batarian leadership must be paranoid to blockade their base like that.”

“Shocker,” Joker responded sarcastically. “Well these things aren’t a job for our cannon – target’s not big enough. We’ll have to get in close and take them down with our pew-pew guns.”

“No,” said Kaidan. “Blowing up aircraft right over the sky will attract unwanted attention; I want to get us in quietly. Maybe you can distract them instead, open up a little window for us to pass through in the Kodiaks?”

“Hey, no skin off my nose if you want to put the ole girl through her paces. The rest of the crew might want to find their safety harnesses, though.”

“Then give us a moment to assemble,” said Kaidan, reaching for the intercom on Joker’s dashboard. “Attention: all fireteam, grab your gear and report to the Kodiak shuttles. I repeat: all fireteam to the shuttles.”

Major Alenko then hustled out of the bridge and hurried through the CIC, looking up only once on the way to the elevator – acknowledging specialist Traynor with a nod as they passed each other by. Inside the elevator, he pushed the button for the armory deck, and grew quickly impatient at its slow movement until it finally reached the bottom level and opened the doors. There, the rest of the fireteam had assembled, equipping their weapons and armor until Major Alenko interrupted them.

“Okay everyone,” he began. “Commander Vega and I will be leading two separate teams for this one. Miranda, Liara, and EDI will accompany me; the rest of you will follow James. As I said in your debriefing, if they’re holding a gun, an omnitool, or if they glow with biotics, don’t take any chances. Batarians aren’t known for their hospitality. Are we clear?”

“Clear,” responded various voices from the fireteam.

“EDI,” said James, “is there any way you can keep track of squad kills? Uh, for post-mission analysis, of course.”

“Yes. One moment,” said EDI. “… I have created a secure, encrypted server to connect all fireteam members and allow users to enter their ‘kills’ mentally as new data-entries. Sending the access-code and entryway to your omnitools now.”

“Awesome. Thanks, EDI.”

“Come on,” said Kaidan. “Joker’s waiting for us to exit the hangar bay. Be ready, everyone. Once he clears a path for us, our shuttles are headed straight down to the batarian homeworld – this is it!”

“That’s right,” James hollered enthusiastically. “Team Normandy SR-2 is back in business!”

As both of the shuttles’ doors opened, the squad equipped their weapons and the last pieces of their armor suits before hopping inside the Kodiaks with their assigned teams. Slowly, the hangar-bay vented to space, and about five minutes later, the shuttles were off.

 

* * *

  
EDI: “Shuttles away, we are clear.”

Joker grinned and cracked his knuckles. “And now,” he said in a dramatic announcer’s voice, “without further ado, back by popular demand, it’s your world-famous, two-time Palladium Star recipient SSV Normandy, in: _The Systems Alliance Air Show_ – starring Jeff Moreau, the indomitable Joker!!” Joker raised his arms out in response to an imaginary crowd’s cheers and then directed the Normandy’s approach towards the planet while humming an epic tune under his breath.

As the Normandy accelerated towards the anomalous figures they detected, Joker periodically checked the long-distance scanner for any movement from these “Oculi.” A few minutes later, EDI chimed in: “We have been detected.” Joker noticed the two Oculi break off from the rest of the group to intercept their ship, and his grin widened further.

“Then let’s dance,” he said cockily.

The Normandy continued its approach towards the defense line of Oculi while steadily lowering its center-of-gravity with mass-effect fields, allowing it to take evasive maneuvers swiftly in the event drawing of enemy fire. As the ship got inside recorded firing-range for Oculi, Joker attempted to pull the ship out, but his commands were met with… nothing.

Just as he noticed that the ship’s propulsion systems had been disabled – eerily reminiscent of the Collector attack aboard the ship a few years ago – the Normandy was hit with heavy impact and all internal flight systems started to go haywire.

“Intruder detected,” EDI alerted him. “All flight systems have been compromised.”

“Shit,” cried Joker instinctively. “We’re crashing! Little help here, EDI??”

“L-l-losinnnggggg c-c-c-onnnntrr-” EDI responded with increasing distortion in her voice before she went silent.

“EDI!” Joker cried as his fear quickly turned to panic. “Argh!! Don’t do this to me, girl. Not now. Not…”

Joker tried to enter the virtual-space through EDI, but could not form a nexus-point between himself and her for Harmonic connection; something had caused her to shut down. Instead, he resorted to Harmonically interfacing with his console on the bridge. Once inside the virtual-space, he found that – to his horror – the area around him was quickly going dark, at the hands of some trespasser of an alien species he could not clearly see or identify. Total loss of this space meant total shutdown of the Normandy’s flight systems. Acting quickly, Joker backed up all remaining data from here onto an improvised server of his own creation and returned to real-space, where he opened the intercom and radioed back to the ship’s shuttles simultaneously.

“Mayday! Mayday! Our ship has been compromised, emergency crash-protocols online. All hands, brace for impact!!”

 

* * *

  
Major Alenko’s eyes widened in shock as he received Joker’s message and saw the Normandy on his scanner nose-diving towards Khar’Shan’s surface. “Joker!!” he yelled in horror. At that moment, EDI’s mobile-platform suddenly fell over.

“Goddess!” gasped Liara.

“What’s going on??” asked Miranda.

“Normandy’s crashing!” Kaidan responded.

“And EDI must have been damaged,” Miranda observed.

Just then, Commander Vega radioed over to Major Alenko’s shuttle. “Rocco, you hear that shit?”

“We did, James. And EDI's blacked out on us.”

“Son of a-” he responded.

Kaidan and Miranda both got down on a knee to examine EDI's platform. A couple minutes later, EDI came back online and picked herself up off the floor.

“Enhanced Defense Intelligence mobile-platform system crash at 5/12/2188 at 16:38:84472,” she reported. “Restoring most recent backup: 5/12/2188 at 00:00:00000.”

“What happened, EDI?” asked Kaidan.

“Unknown – I have lost all records of what happened since my last backup. I do not detect critical damage to my blue-box on the ship, however, just temporary shut-down. Once power is restored to my blue-box, I can provide further details. It is probable that Jeff will set up a distress-signal momentarily.”

"Well," said James over the radio, "then it could have been worse, I guess."

“Distress signal detected,” EDI announced. “The Normandy has landed on the island of Jaxier, coordinates: 21.333 N, 87.25 W. Jeff has restored power to my blue-box. Seven crew injuries reported – none severe. Also, hostile presence detected, encroaching on the Normandy’s location.”

“Details?” asked Kaidan.

“Approximately 175 Batarian troopers, divided into eight sub-units, armed with military-grade weapons. Omnitools and biotic abilities unknown. I have found no hints to indicate their allegiance in the batarians’ political conflict just yet. Tapping into their communications, they are aware of the entry of an unidentified frigate and are searching for ship. They have not found it yet, but likely will soon. Our ETA to Jaxier is 22 minutes.”

“What can you tell me about the area we’re headed to?” asked Kaidan.

“Jaxier’s terrain is predominantly rolling-plains, as is the location of the crash site. Note that it is 16:46 on a planet with an 18:30-hour day. Harmonic use of the Night Vision application is strongly advised.”

“Understood,” said Kaidan. “Change of plans: secure the perimeter and eliminate all hostiles in the vicinity. We should position ourselves out wide and work our way back to the Normandy.”

“Rodger that,” said James over the radio.

“An excellent choice,” said Miranda. “Joker will have some explaining to do for that crash, however.”

 

* * *

  
Back in James’s shuttle, the rest of the team heard Major Alenko’s orders over the radio. In silence, each of them prepared themselves mentally for battle. Jack examined her M-11 Suppressor, admiring its craggy exterior and the sleek, black silencer attached to the barrel. It was a small pistol, but one with high stopping-power and relentless RoF – her kind of weapon. At this moment, all was beginning to feel right in her world again: danger, adventure, and even company she could trust. Jack tried to maintain her usual outward appearance of casual apathy, but right now, she just couldn’t wipe the smirk off of her face.

It was about to get fun.

Just before landing, Jack probed her omnitool Harmonically for her playlist titled “Club Techno and Rock Mix.” In her head, the music began to play with crystal clarity – another trick she learned from her pet AI. “Shepard” had also fixed the targeting on her Lash ability to reliably send the target flying overhead rather than flinging it unpredictably about. As their shuttle finally touched down on the surface of Jaxier, the doors opened and revealed their first glimpse of Khar’Shan’s enigmatic island: a savannah, with scattered trees, half-leg-high grass, patches of dirt and narrow pathways paved across the plain. Jack wondered what wild fauna roamed the lands, other than the so-called “most dangerous game” they were hunting now. James pulled out his Black Widow sniper-rifle and scouted out the area ahead. Suddenly, he loosed two consecutive shots and then discharged the rifle’s thermal clip.

With that, EDI’s squad-server had its first entry:

**[+James Vega: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – Black Widow**   
**+James Vega: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – Black Widow]**

“Scouts,” said James. “They were headed our way, likely the rest of their party isn’t far behind. We move forward and take ‘em out now before more of them find us.”

“Very wise,” Javik concurred.

“Lola, you take point. Buggy and I will hold the line back here, right buddy?” Javik said nothing.

“My favorite thing!” Jack responded.

“Shorty, keep sharp. Stay on the lookout for enemies from _any_ direction.”

Ninju took the usual weighted breath through his breather suit, and responded, “Will do.”

James placed his sniper-rifle back in its holster, exchanging it for his hefty N7 Cyclone machine-gun and pushed on ahead with Javik at his side. Jack trotted up ahead of them, moving through tall grass up a hill until she peered over the top and spotted a small team of batarians up ahead on the other side of the incline, searching the area with their omnitool flashlights, but Jack could see all of them clearly with her Night Vision app.

“Contact,” she muttered, just audible enough for James and Javik to hear her. She looked back at James. “Gotta be like 20 of ‘em. Haven’t spotted us yet, though.”

“You know what to do,” said James. “We got your back.”

Jack smiled wryly, turned back around and crouched stealthily from the in the grass while firing her pistol; James and Javik on stand-by. Jack took out one batarian trooper and wounded another before a flashlight finally stopped her.

“Off-world presence confirmed!” cried the apparent squad leader. “Kill ‘em all!!”

Jack lashed her wounded prey and finished it off before Javik and James joined in, both of whom forced the whole batarian squad into cover with their combined barrage of assault-rifle fire. Jack saw her opportunity and took it, closing the gap between their position and the batarian team with reckless abandon while trading out her sidearm for the N7 Piranha shotgun on her back. Dreamcatcher was now online, bolstering her movement speed and reducing her visibility with a ghost-like appearance. Once in range, she loosed a biotic Shockwave that dislodged about half the batarian hit-squad from their cover, allowing her to eliminate two more enemies, while Javik and James scored another one a piece. But Jack had another trick up her sleeve.

Using her biotics, Jack charged through enemy lines, toppling three batarian shotgunners in the process. In the distance, James was yelling something, but she couldn’t make out his words. And it didn’t matter. Jack was in the mosh pit with a dozen batarians now, and she had her rage on, firing her shotgun rabidly around while Dreamcatcher hit all enemies in melee-range with Warp fields. Jack felt her barrier swell as enemy rounds hit her. Normally, energy and projectiles just dissipated against her barrier until it failed, but Dreamcatcher harnessed this destructive power as its short-range Warp fields grew increasingly volatile and injurious… until her barrier was finally spent. As her shields came down, a tidal wave of entropic biotic energy crippled every four-eyed shithead in her sight. James jumped into the fray next – M-11 Wraith in hand – swinging punches and blowing enemy heads off with his powerful shotgun. Jack finished off all remaining enemies in one fell swoop by smashing her biotic lashes down on them. Blood and even some loose limbs rained down around them in the glorious afterglow of victory. It was over, and their team not only succeeded, but utterly annihilated their enemies.

The kill-counter read:

**[+Jack Shepard: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – M-11 Suppressor**   
**+Jack Shepard: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – Lash**   
**+Jack Shepard: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – N7 Piranha**   
**+Javik: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – Prothean Particle Rifle**   
**+Jack Shepard: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – N7 Piranha**   
**+James Vega: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – N7 Cyclone**   
**+Jack Shepard: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – N7 Piranha**   
**+Jack Shepard: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – N7 Piranha**   
**+Jack Shepard: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – N7 Piranha**   
**+Jack Shepard: 2 kills – unidentified batarian trooper – Dreamcatcher**   
**+James Vega: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – M-11 Wraith**   
**+James Vega: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – melee**   
**+Jack Shepard: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – N7 Piranha**   
**+James Vega: 1 kill – unidentified batarian trooper – M-11 Wraith**   
**+Jack Shepard: 4 kills – unidentified batarian trooper (4), – Smash]**

James gasped for air until he finally caught his breath. “Lola! There were, like, fifteen batarians behind that ‘line. You just charged right in. Are you nuts??”

Jack snickered and swaggered away. “I’ll let you think over that one.”

 

* * *

  
Major Alenko’s squad had landed about seven and a half klicks away from Commander Vega’s team and investigated the area furtively through the open field. The Normandy sat due south of their position, but the quartet traveled eastbound on the lookout for search-parties that EDI had detected. Tapping into their radios, Kaidan and the gang picked up their conversations, referring to the Normandy as an “unidentified crashed vessel” and revealing their plan to execute or capture all outsiders in the area. These batarians speculated that it was, “STG, again,” and exchanged various derogatory comments on the salarians.

As the four of them advanced forward, Kaidan noted the beauty of the scenery around them: scattered palm trees and lush flora across the surrounding area, and the sky above them was the boldest color blue – lit only by Khar’Shan’s radiant moon. Out in the distance were rolling hills, and mountains just beyond them. They walked along a dirt path which led them around a long strip of tall trees and bushes. All of it accompanied by adequate warmth and a cool breeze through the air. It wasn’t all completely picturesque, however. Some damage to the land was visible, accompanied by scattered bones and corpses. Was it this war’s, or the Reaper invasion just a year back? According to Major Alenko’s intel, the island of Jaxier was left virtually deserted by the Reaper occupation, with little resistance capable of pushing the invading force out of the region.

“You know,” said Kaidan, “if not for the whole war going on and this planet’s anti-alien policy, this would be a nice little destination for shore-leave. ‘Wonder what the beaches look like. There’ve got to be some nice beaches out here.”

“Perhaps you should treat us after our successful mission completion, Major,” Miranda suggested.

Kaidan chuckled. “Sounds like a plan. You know, I’ve always wanted to do a bonfire…”

Suddenly, the three of them heard the sound of a low growl and the rustling coming from within the forest just beside them.

“Varren!” he cried, opening and interacting Harmonically with the application Commodore’s Dashboard on his omnitool in the virtual-space, which allowed him to lay tactical groundwork for an enemy encounter and make adjustments to it on the fly. In an instant, Major Alenko pictured their four-legged carnivorous enemies on the virtual battlefield and positioned his squad such that EDI took point with Miranda and himself just behind her and Liara providing ranged support. With varren on the way, Kaidan prioritized the use of EDI’s deadliest short-range tech attacks: Snap Freeze and Flamer. As the varren emerged, Major Alenko’s Numerator application totaled all subjects-of-interests (in this case, varren) in sight within a second’s time – counting them off individually from nearest to farthest visible – at ten. As they charged forward, EDI applied Flamer, gravely injuring most of the targets and killing some outright. Liara and Miranda downed another three altogether and Major Alenko finished off the rest.

**[+EDI: 1 kill – varren – Flamer**   
**+EDI: 1 kill – varren – Flamer**   
**+Major Alenko: 1 kill – varren – M-7 Lancer**   
**+Major Alenko: 1 kill – varren – M-7 Lancer**   
**+Liara T’Soni: 1 kill – varren – M-9 Phalanx**   
**+Miranda Lawson: 1 kill – varren – M-25 Hornet**   
**+Major Alenko: 1 kill – varren – M-7 Lancer**   
**+Miranda Lawson: 1 kill – varren – M-25 Hornet**   
**+Major Alenko: 1 kill – varren – M-7 Lancer**   
**+Major Alenko: 1 kill – varren – M-7 Lancer]**

Major Alenko looked down at the dead. Though most of the bodies were blackened by flame, one was relatively untouched, save for the fatal bullet wounds. Kaidan got down on a knee and examined it.

“War paint,” he observed. “Part of the search-teams looking for us, I bet.”

“Do you think they’re searching for us in the woods, or on the trail at the other side of it?” asked Miranda.

“Can’t say, but let ‘em come. We’ll prepare ourselves here and make our stand – no sense in walking into unknown territory.” Only problem Major Alenko immediately saw with their surroundings, however, was a lack of nearby cover available, save for a solitary rock with room for no more than one – but there was a solution. Kaidan ordered EDI to move behind the stone and then deployed a Hex Shield – erected by discharged eezo from his omnitool and specialized power-cells – which provided ample cover for two, behind which Miranda and Liara were ordered to stand. Major Alenko, meanwhile, stood out in the open between both spots.

“Kaidan?” said Liara.

“Don’t worry,” he replied. “I got this.” Major Alenko calmly activated tech-armor, creating another layer of protection around his armor suit. And, as he expected, various batarian shock-troopers poured in from the same direction out of the woods as the varren that had just attacked them. While Kaidan’s lustrous tech-armor attracted almost all immediate enemy attention, the enemies were caught in cross-fire, from EDI on one side and Miranda and Liara on another. Major Alenko got down on one knee and hit them as they come.

On top of his hardsuit’s standard shielding, Kaidan’s biotics provided extra barriers, his tech-armor further increased damage resistance, his Harmonic connection to an omnitool allowed him to cast Energy Drain – refilling kinetic-barrier power by stealing it from enemies – without taking a hand off of his rifle. And to top it all off, he could Reave, a biotic talent that provided another, durable layer of kinetic energy fields around him. And, undetectable to his enemies, Kaidan’s omnitool – with which he was connected Harmonically – had an application called Tactical Scanner, which scanned all targets in sight and graphically pinpointed vulnerabilities for him to exploit. Altogether, Kaidan was virtually indestructible to enemy forces. His weapon, the M-7 Lancer, was an assault-rifle with respectable stopping-power and cooled down without thermal clips. Planted in the center of the action, Major Alenko functioned like a human turret, relentlessly firing away as the enemies approached.

Bodies of hostile batarian troopers piled on in front of his eyes, and rivers of blood flowing through the grass beneath them and pooled back onto the dirt trail. The fight lasted almost half an hour until the radio they’d tapped into finally went dark – signaling the last of the hostile presence in their immediate area. With that, Major Alenko holstered his rifle behind him.

“Nice work, team,” he said. Bringing his omnitool online, Kaidan took a scan of one of their fallen enemies. “So we’ve got a uniform and some symbols,” said Kaidan. “Wonder which side they’re on. Seem too organized to be a rebel movement, so I’ll wager they’re ‘League.”

“Yes,” EDI confirmed. “The blue helix insignia matches known logos of the Batarian People’s League. It is likely that these soldiers are part of their army.”

“Also,” Miranda pointed out, “that’s a Blue Suns symbol tattooed on the neck. Could they have hired help?”

“Could be,” Kaidan responded. “Or, could just be this guy’s personal body art. We’ll keep an eye out for that, though.” Just then, Major Alenko heard static again over the radio channel they had tapped into, followed by a batarian’s voice.

“Team Korval, report in, anyone!”

…

“Team Korval! Does anyone copy??”

Kaidan picked up an enemy radio off of a nearby corpse, but hesitated from responding.

“We should feed them misinformation,” Miranda suggested. “Any ideas?”

Kaidan thought for a moment. “Got it,” he said, bringing his omnitool online Harmonically. With the help of an omnitool application that produced accurate translation and voice disguises, Kaidan responded over the radio in a batarian language and accent, playing from his handheld device as he fed it the words: “Dhai baera gkar saatha joya kerre – buvar hait gom’at ziem!”

“Curse you, peasant scum!” responded the voice on the other end before disconnecting the line.

“Huh,” said Kaidan. “Guess they fell for it.”

“What did you tell them?” Liara asked curiously.

Kaidan smirked. “‘Your men and their alien allies are dead,’ and, ‘victory to the rebel movement!’”

“Leading them to believe we are dead while explaining the casualties on their side,” EDI deduced.

“Good. Hopefully that keeps their people off of us after we’re done here,” said Miranda.

 

* * *

  
Jack was in a rhythm now, both literally and figuratively. While the beat of her favorite tunes were pounding in her head, she moved forward with alacrity, taking down everything in sight at a pace not even her own teammates could keep up with. Silent takedowns with her pistols allowed her to move ahead undetected and find unsuspecting batarian squads, where she would charge in and take out swaths of the enemies with her devastating close-range biotic attacks and deadly shotgun – but not without James’s signal, first. “No heroics,” he told her after their first enemy encounter. Fucker!

Dreamcatcher and Night Vision made her that much deadlier, combining to give her another step of foot-speed , make her harder for hostile snipers to track, and help her detect hidden enemies in the darkness (while they were using severely-inferior spotlights). In melee-range, her foes suffered Warp attacks from her AI-driven biotic barrier (her pet had adapted the Adept’s Ally application and ran it for her in place of the standard issue VI), plus massive damage whenever it was purged or broken. Four massacred batarian hit-squads later, Jack spotted something familiar out in the distance.

“Over there,” cried Jack. “That our ship?”

“Confirmed,” said the volus, who saw it clearly through his scope.

“We must make sure we have cleared the entire area of our enemies,” Javik remarked.

James checked his omnitool. “Don’t see anything on EDI’s radar, other than-”

“Gunship!” Ninju hollered. “On our 6!” James turned back and scanned the sky through his Black Widow’s scope until he found the ship Ninju was talking about. Noting spotlights on the sides and previously observed blue helix insignias, it was obviously part of the search-teams that were looking for them, though it headed in the wrong direction.

“Shit,” said James. “The Normandy’s a sitting duck out here. We gotta take that thing down before it finds her.” James patched in Major Alenko over his radio. “Rocco, we got a gunship out here, flying the same banner as these goon squads.”

Major Alenko responded: “I know, LC. We just saw it too, dropping off a handful of reinforcements – they look like elites, but there are not too many of them.”

“Great.”

“I’ve got an idea here,” said Kaidan. “Sending coordinates to your NavPoint, my squad will meet you guys half-way. We should be able to eliminate these new arrivals together.”

“And the gunship??”

“We can take out that sucker as well. It’ll be risky, but…”

“It’s your call, Major. We’ll follow your plan. Out.” James cut the line. “Alright team, Major Alenko just gave us a rendezvous point, and that’s where we’re headed.”

 

* * *

  
After a word with Miranda, Major Alenko broke off from the rest of his squad while the gunship dropped off reinforcements out in the distance. Jumping from their ship, jetpacks assisted their fall, but the three of them lost visuals on the enemy as they sank into the wide expanse of tropical forestry beyond them. Miranda assumed the lead.

“Come on,” she said. “Our best chance is to rejoin the rest of our team and face the enemy in force. If we encounter hostile presence on the way, so be it.”

“Affirmative,” EDI responded, while Liara followed along. With the coordinates entered on their omnitools, NavPoint mapped out the way ahead, and the three of them followed along the program’s route guidance.

Along the way, Liara spoke up. “You’ve been a busy woman lately, Miranda.”

“What else is new?”

“I just thought you might have wanted to settle down after the end of the war, and Cerberus.”

“You of all people should understand,” Miranda responded. “You seized control of the galaxy’s largest information brokerage the moment the opportunity presented itself. The end of the war hasn’t stopped you, either. Settling down just doesn’t appeal to me very much. I enjoy being active, with tasks that engage my body and mind.”

“True, but I’m 110, which is still very young for asari,” Liara pointed out.

“Do you have a point here, Liara, other than to make me feel conscious about my age?” Together, they followed the NavPoint guidance route into the woods as it led it them through the narrow dirt path it detected on the ground beneath them.

“What? Oh, no! Goddess, I didn’t mean it like that. I am just… concerned for you. It seems like you’re focusing so much time and effort on your professional career, and not allowing yourself to slow down and take a moment to appreciate some of the things you’ve dedicated it all to.”

“You’re talking about my sister?”

“Among other things, yes. You may regret letting them pass you by while you were busy. There’s still time, but the windows are closing – fast. I know because my mother had the same regrets.”

“Perhaps.”

A couple minutes later, the three of them emerged from the woods to find the reinforcement squad of about ten soldiers – noticeably better-equipped than the previous enemies they had been fighting – congregated around what looked like an abandoned farmhouse.

“Enemies spotted!” one of them called out.

“Get ‘em, boys!” said another, releasing a pair of large varren as a pair of troopers armed only with riot-shields followed behind them.

“Eliminate the varren,” Miranda ordered. The three of them opened fire on the charging war beasts, only to find that they kept charging even as they sustained wounds normally fatal for them. Not only were these variety bigger than the usual, they were robotized, as their deep lacerations would reveal. Though the varren never reached them, they took a lot of damage before they perished. It was bait – an immediate, urgent threat to distract them from their main enemy, all of whom had now closed in and surrounded them at gunpoint while two snipers in the back had their weapons aimed firmly in their direction.

“Our probability of victory is of negligible value,” EDI stated. “Surrender is advised.”

“Dammit…” Miranda groaned.

“So,” said one of the batarian elites, seemingly their captain, “it’s not the lizards this time. Take ‘em in for questioning! I’m sure the boss will be curious who emp-” Out of nowhere, a little holographic drone sped across the field and situated itself right in the middle of both parties. “What the hell is this??” exclaimed the captain, “some kind of trick?”

“No,” replied a voice vaguely-familiar to Miranda’s side, transmitted from the drone itself. It continued, followed by a deep inhale: “– this is vol-dominance!”

Immediately, the drone turned unstable and overloaded with a burst of electrical energy over a five-meter radius. Ally and enemy were both unharmed by the blast, but all weapons in the vicinity were overheated by at least three consecutive thermal-clips. Suddenly, both snipers toppled over as blood sprayed out from their heads. Next, sniper-rifle rounds took out the varren kennel-master, followed by three more enemies while the rest of them scrambled to find the attackers and cool down their sabotaged weapons.

In disbelief, Miranda checked the kill-counter:

**[+Ninju Mats: 1 kill – BPL elite-sniper – N7 Valiant.**   
**+James Vega: 1 kill – BPL elite-sniper – Black Widow.**   
**+Ninju Mats: 1 kill – BPL elite-scout – N7 Valiant.**   
**+Ninju Mats: 1 kill – BPL elite-vanguard – N7 Valiant.**   
**+James Vega: 1 kill – BPL elite-vanguard – Black Widow.**   
**+James Vega: 1 kill – BPL elite-engineer – Black Widow.]**

It was really them.

Next, the shield-toting pair lost their protective guards to biotic Pull-fields, and then were swiftly ionized by a green particle-beam. Only three batarian troopers were left, each of whom quickly grabbed onto one of their captives in an attempt to hold them hostage, but this plan was foiled quickly as Jack biotically charged into them from their right flank – knocking over friend and foe alike – and then mopped up the remaining batarian goons with her shotgun.

James hustled over, followed by Javik and the volus. “Where’s Major Alenko?” he asked, but the sound of the gunship making its way towards them turned their attention away.

“Gunship!” exclaimed Javik.

“Find cover!” ordered James.

As the seven of them scattered about to the nearest protective position they could find, the gunship’s spotlights glanced over them, revealing their locations to its pilot. Next, the ship unleashed gunfire upon them from its main cannons, forcing them all into hiding.

Flustered, James cursed a few times and asked, “Where the hell is Rocco??”

Out of nowhere, the UT-47 Kodiak appeared from the left while the gunship was distracted, and the shuttle tore the gunship apart with Javelin torpedoes before its pilot even realized the set-up. Upon the eruption of the batarians’ airborne vehicle, the Kodiak shuttle moved in and parked itself down. Major Alenko emerged from within, smiling as he was met with cheers from his squad.

“Our squad was only a decoy in the major’s plan,” Miranda explained.

“Yeah,” said James, “I see that now! Atta boy, Rocco.”

“But I’m afraid we still made a tactical error here,” Miranda pointed out. “We underestimated the strength of the batarian elite squad – they intercepted and overwhelmed the three of us.”

“Until we came to the rescue,” said Jack offhandedly, placing a hand on her hip, “and saved their sorry asses from becoming red and sore ones.” Miranda glowered, but said nothing back.

“I see,” said Kaidan. “The others were no match for us, so I guess I got a bit cocky there. Sorry about that.”

“No,” said James. “That gunship was the biggest threat on the field, even if it wasn’t the immediate one. You were right to plan for it.”

“Major,” said EDI. “I detect no further threats in our surrounding area.”

“Then we head back to the ship,” Kaidan declared. “For better or for worse, our mission is now in full swing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am busy as hell these days and the plot for this story is thickening. Chapters will take some time to publish but I am still working on it -- snail's pace though it may be -- and am very much planning to see it through! =]


	7. King of the Hill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felt rushed about this chapter so I'm posting it up now. May need further editing/review, but I had to get it off my chest, so to speak.

Major Alenko and the rest of the squad walked into the downed SSV Normandy’s portside airlock entrance after arriving via shuttle. There, Kaidan hit the intercom. “It’s us, Joker,” he said.

“What’s the password?” he asked jestingly.

“Uh…” Kaidan responded, trying to think of a witty response. “Joker’s an insufferable idiot?”

“Joker’s gonna get my boot up his ass if he keeps us waiting,” Jack suggested.

“Or,” said Javik, “Open the airlock or you will be thrown out of it.”

“Okay,” said Joker, “that can only be Javik. Come on in.”

As the doors sealed shut behind them, decontamination protocols cleansed the incoming shore-party of outdoor bacteria before the airlock opened. While most of the squad headed back to their posts, Kaidan, James, Miranda and EDI all congregated at the bridge.

Joker looked up and preemptively responded to Miranda’s glare. “Argh!! Not this again …”

“For such a cocksure helmsman,” she said, “it seems something always goes wrong when you’re left in charge of the ship.”

“Only when _you’ve_ been part of the crew,” Joker replied bitterly. “Maybe you’re just bad luck. You know what old pirate tales say about women on ships?”

“Let’s all just settle down here,” Kaidan interjected. “First off: Joker, are you okay?”

“Again with the ribs,” said Joker, clutching his sides. “It’s fine, though. They grow back.”

“So what happened?” Major Alenko asked.

“Well,” Joker began, “I tried baiting those Oculus things out of their positions by getting just close enough for them to target us, but when I tried to evade, all of our controls had gone offline and the system crashed. It was just like the Collector attack. And this weird jolt of force pounded the ship to send her crashing down. Then EDI blacked out, something hacked into the network, took control of the ship and started shutting everything down.”

“Was it the Oculi?” asked Kaidan.

“Well what else could it have been?” Joker responded. “But they’re not like the ones the Reapers used. These things are, like, cyberwarfare drones or something.”

“How did you land the ship?” Kaidan asked curiously.

“Just before the intruder shut off all our systems, I backed up the emergency settings to a server. Once everything went down, I rebooted the system to those settings – much faster than if I had to do it all manually. That put us in position just in time to land without becoming a little hole in the ground. It wasn’t pretty, but this thing could have been a whole lot worse.”

“I see,” Major Alenko responded. “And how’s she doing?”

“Well,” said Joker, “she’s been through worse. I’d give it a week, though, before we can really fly again.”

The five of them exchanged looks before James Vega spoke up, “You had a few leads though, didn’t you, Rocco? This gives us time to look into things, if nothing else.”

“We’ve conveniently landed on the outskirts not too far out from where I wanted us to land,” the major stated. “There’s minimal presence of either party. But we’re gonna have to do some recon on both sides sooner or later and report our findings back to the council. We’ve just encountered the ‘League. We need more intel than what we’ve found, but it’s the other side I’m more curious about now.”

“I strongly suggest we analyze our findings, major,” EDI suggested.

“What about our mission, major?” asked Miranda. “What’s our next step?”

Silent for a few moments, Major Alenko stroked the bottom of his chin, and replied, “Got a few ideas, but let’s take this to the war room. It’s time for another debriefing.”

 

* * *

 

> **[Server Name: Normandy Squad Gameplan; Network: Normandy Enhanced Defense Intelligence; Created: 3-29-2188 2:16:3988(3) by Major Kaidan Alenko; Security Type: Restricted (recognized user access only); Users Active: 2.]**
> 
> EDI: First.
> 
> **[2:16:5839(2) – Sam Traynor logged in; Users Active: 3.]**
> 
> Sam: I see what you did there!
> 
> **[2:17:0742(6) – Liara T’Soni logged in; Users Active: 4.]**
> 
> **[2:17:1756(3) – Miranda Lawson logged in; Users Active: 5.]**
> 
> **[2:17:2084(9) – Ninju Mats logged in; Users Active: 6.]**
> 
> **[2:17:31398(4) – Joker logged in; Users Active: 7.]**
> 
> **[2:17:3351(6) – James Vega logged in; Users Active: 8].**
> 
> **[2:17:4041(5) – Jack Shepard logged in; Users Active: 9.]**
> 
> Liara: Jack, I have to ask: you’ve adopted “Shepard” as your last name?
> 
> Jack: That’s right. Did you learn to make such brilliant observations from your PhD, or did one of your sources just inform you of this top-secret development?
> 
> Liara: It was a rhetorical question. What I mean to ask is why you’ve chosen it. I know human females traditionally drop their last names in favor of their husbands’ after getting married. You and Shepard were never legally bonded, however.
> 
> Jack: Yeah. Well, I needed a legal last name after the Alliance employed me. “Harkness” was already taken.
> 
> Liara: That’s no answer.
> 
> Jack: Ugh. What do you want from me, asari? I came here to knock some heads around, not share touching stories about my time with Shepard. Creep on whoever you want with your little spy network, but don’t expect me to spill my guts out about my personal life just because you’ve got your little blue nose buried so deep inside it.
> 
> Major Alenko: And I think we should respect Jack’s privacy, knowing how hard Shepard’s passing was for those of us that called him a friend. Anyway, let’s all just wait a few seconds for Javik to join us and we’ll get this ball rolling.
> 
> Liara: I’m sorry. I was just curious.
> 
> Jack: Look, this really isn’t even something new. After Kahlee hired me, I needed a proper surname for legal shit, and going by “Shepard” felt like it made sense for obvious reasons. So I’ve kept it ever since. That’s pretty much it. Sorry if that’s not dramatic enough for you.
> 
> **[2:17:5185(7) Javik logged in; Users Active: 10.]**
> 
> Major Alenko: Everyone’s here now. Good. Let’s get started. So last night we encountered some resistance. All evidence we’ve uncovered points to them being on the League’s side of the conflict. For the most part, they were under-equipped, low-tech, and didn’t really stand a chance against us. However, one group we encountered later on gave us a harder time – clearly the elites of their army. Let’s break down the data we collected. EDI, what have you got for us?
> 
> EDI: We encountered six groups of hostiles at or near platoon strength (25-65 members), and one with squad numbers (8-15). Standard enemy units are mostly comprised of members we’ve now identified as assault-troopers – armed with simple SMGs, pistols, assault-rifles and medium armor. The League’s combat teams also employ biotics and technicians alongside these troopers at about a 1:24 and 1:9 ratio, respectively. League Vanguards have adequate biotic strength, and naturally carry weapons of light-to-moderate encumbrance to minimize stress and facilitate easier biotic use. Technicians vary in their ratios of firepower to technical strength, with some being predominantly firearms-oriented, while others use omnitools as primary weapons. Constructing enemy profiles now…
> 
> **[Assault-trooper – armor: light, medium; weapons: assault-rifle (DMG: 2; ACC: 2, ROF: 3), SMG (DMG: 2; ACC: 1, ROF: 3), pistol (DMG: 1, ACC: 2, ROF: 1); biotics: none; tech: none; gear: none**   
>  **Ranged-trooper – armor: light; primary weapons: sniper-rifle (DMG: 3; ACC: 4, ROF: 0); secondary: SMG (DMG: 2; ACC: 1, ROF: 3), pistol (DMG: 1; ACC: 2, ROF: 1); biotics: none; tech: Tactical Cloak, Incinerate; gear: none**   
>  **Assault-scout – armor: light; primary weapons: shotgun (DMG: 3; ACC: 1, ROF: 1); secondary: SMG (DMG: 2; ACC: 1, ROF: 3), pistol (DMG: 1; ACC: 2, ROF: 1); biotics: none; tech: none; gear: none**   
>  **Assault-vanguard – armor: light, medium; primary weapons: shotgun; assault-rifle; sniper-rifle; secondary weapons: pistol (DMG: 1; ACC: 2, ROF: 1), SMG (DMG: 2; ACC: 1, ROF: 3); biotics: Shockwave, Throw, Pull, Warp, Slam, Barrier; tech: none; gear: none**   
>  **Assault-technician – armor: light, primary weapons: assault-rifle (DMG: 2; ACC: 2, ROF: 3), sniper-rifle (DMG: 3; ACC: 4, ROF: 0), pistol (DMG: 1; ACC: 2, ROF: 1), SMG (DMG: 2; ACC: 1, ROF: 3); secondary weapons: pistol (DMG: 1; ACC: 2, ROF: 1), SMG (DMG: 2; ACC: 1, ROF: 3); biotics: none; tech: Tactical Cloak, Incinerate, Overload, Combat Drone, Sentry Turret; gear: none.**   
>  **Assault-varren – armor: none (leather, scale hides comparable to light armor); weapons: none (melee-only); biotics: none; tech: none; gear: none]**
> 
> EDI: Weapon ratings are median scores based on all data collected on each enemy by class. Additionally, as Major Alenko already mentioned, the League appears to have a separate team of elite combatants. Aggregating data and constructing enemy profiles now…
> 
> **[Elite Trooper – armor: heavy; primary weapons: assault-rifle (DMG: 3; ACC: 3; ROF: 2); machine-gun (DMG: 3; ACC: 2; ROF: 5); secondary weapons: shotgun (DMG: 4; ACC: 2; ROF: 2), pistol (DMG: 3; ACC: 3; ROF:  2); biotics: none; tech: none; gear: CyboStrength Pack;**   
>  **Elite Sniper – armor: light; primary weapons: sniper-rifle (DMG: 4; ACC: 5; ROF: 0); secondary weapons: pistol (DMG: 3; ACC: 3; ROF:  2), SMG (DMG: 3; ACC: 2; ROF: 3); biotics: none; tech: (unobserved); gear: none unique**   
>  **Elite Scout – armor: light; primary weapons: pistol (DMG: 3; ACC: 3; ROF:  2); biotics: none; tech: none; gear: Dualinguals**   
>  **Alpha Varren (held and released by Elite Scout) – armor: none (leather, scale hides comparable to medium armor); weapons: none (melee-only); biotics: none; tech: none; gear: RobotiFrame; Dual-lingual**   
>  **Elite Vanguard – armor: medium; primary weapons: shotgun (DMG: 4; ACC: 2; ROF: 2), assault-rifle (DMG: 3; ACC: 3; ROF: 2); sniper-rifle (DMG: 4; ACC: 5; ROF: 0); secondary weapons: pistol (DMG: 3; ACC: 3; ROF:  2), SMG (DMG: 3; ACC: 2; ROF: 3); biotics: (unobserved); tech: none; gear: none unique**   
>  **Elite Technician – armor: medium, heavy; primary weapons: shotgun (DMG: 4; ACC: 2; ROF: 2), pistol (DMG: 3; ACC: 3; ROF:  2), assault-rifle (DMG: 3; ACC: 3; ROF: 2), sniper-rifle (DMG: 4; ACC: 5; ROF: 0); secondary weapons: pistol (DMG: 3; ACC: 3; ROF:  2), SMG (DMG: 3; ACC: 2; ROF: 3); biotics: none; tech: (unobserved); gear: Gybarka turret armor set**   
>  **Elite Brawler – armor: heavy; primary weapons: omni-shield (as melee weapon), reinforced spike gauntlets; biotics: none; tech: none; gear: CyboStrength Pack**
> 
> **All elites – gear: Adrenaline Flux, SteelSkin;**
> 
> **All humanoid elites  – gear: HPU (jetpack)]**
> 
> Major Alenko: Note that “Gear” refers to devices with Harmonic enhancement utility.
> 
> Miranda: Higher ratings across the board. The elites are carrying much stronger weapons and better tech. You think their political opponents have any match for them?
> 
> Major Alenko: Harmonic development has been primitive in the batarian world. They’ve been dealing with too much political strife and instability to focus on matters such as these.
> 
> Miranda: Perhaps the League is realizing the benefits?
> 
> James: That would be one explanation for why they’ve stonewalled the resistance here. Maybe not the only one, but still. Could they turn the tide with their fancy equipment?
> 
> Major Alenko: And these aren’t abilities like anything we’ve developed in the Alliance labs. I’ve datamined the gear myself to determine their purposes. Here’s what we’ve found…
> 
> **[Adrenaline Flux: synthetic SuperAdrenaline hormone is utilized to decrease physical trauma suffered in combat situations while bolstering user speed, strength, and awareness**
> 
> **SteelSkin: administers a potent opiate in measured doses to desensitize the user to physical damage**
> 
> **HPU: a jetpack with Harmonically-controlled propellers to navigate in all directions**
> 
> **CyboStrength Pack: implanted, battery-powered synthetic joints that increase physical strength**
> 
> **RobotiFrame: implanted, battery-powered synthetic skeleton that increases physical strength**
> 
> **Dual-linguist: creates live data-feed to send information from user to an animal recipient, which are trained to follow the program’s orders**
> 
> **Gybarka turret armor set: turret that travels with the user as an armor-set until deployed – works with direct control, remote control, or automatic targeting]**
> 
> Major Alenko: They also use abilities like what we have with Night Vision and Medical VI, but otherwise, they’re employing some very odd tech in the Harmonics department.
> 
> James: Some hardcore stuff there. Insta-painkillers? SuperAdrenaline?? Turret-armor???
> 
> Ninju: You’ll have to explain that last one to us, Major. Is this some kind of turret, or armor, or both?
> 
> Major Alenko: Both. It’s this set of heavy – and I mean _massive_ – armor that unfolds into a deployable turret, in which the wearer sits right in the middle and pilots. Users can also exit the turret suit-of-armor and control it remotely, or allow it to operate automatically.
> 
> Ninju: Ah. I see. That’s… a bit much, if you ask me, though I’m starting to get some ideas here…
> 
> Miranda: Is this really who we want to be fighting, Major? Not only does their opposition to pro-Hegemony support align with human interests, but if they can be reasoned with, we could gain some valuable insight into their Harmonic development.
> 
> Major Alenko: I’ll admit, I’m a bit curious, myself. They haven’t given us much choice up to now, but if they’re willing to talk, I may be willing to listen.
> 
> Javik: You primitives have no sense. If an enemy stands between you and your goal, you shackle them, or you destroy them – there are no other options. Do not waste time with absurd ideas of diplomacy like your cycle has done with the synthetics. It’s bad enough you are adopting their methods.
> 
> EDI: I do not appreciate that.
> 
> Javik: Your allegiances were suspect from the beginning, machine.
> 
> Javik: We have only two paths ahead, major: seizure or slaughter.
> 
> Major Alenko: You’re out of line, Javik. I will direct this mission as I see fit.
> 
> Javik: My patience for following primitives that don’t understand what needs to be done is wearing thin.
> 
> **[2:17:5186(0) Javik logged out; Users Active: 9.]**
> 
> Ninju: Ass.
> 
> Liara: Sorry, Kaidan. Javik’s been like this lately. I was hoping a return to the Normandy would make things better, but it seems he’s still troubled.
> 
> James: If that doesn’t change, he’ll become a cancer. Disciplinary action should be in order here.
> 
> Major Alenko: Noted, LC, but as long as the rest of you are still here, I’d like to go over what I’ve planned for our next mission.
> 
> Major Alenko: So there’s this settlement where the resistance army is camping out. I’d like to tap into their communications, and access any data-storage devices they have while we’re at it, but it is well east of our position and unfortunately outside EDI’s range. We’ll have to go there and have one of us set up the equipment, while the rest of us defend that position.
> 
> Ninju: That sounds like a job for me. I’ve got experience setting up and using collection systems, and I prefer to be on an island anyway.
> 
> EDI: Major, I do not find it prudent to commit any one of our squad combatants to this task. It is a sub-optimal setup against our enemy, reducing our chances of success in combat.
> 
> Major Alenko: I’m not sure we have any real choice though, EDI. Do you have any suggestion for us?
> 
> EDI: We should have one crew non-combatant accompany us for the mission and have them set up the targeting equipment, while the full force of our fireteam defends the area.
> 
> Major Alenko: That’s actually an excellent point. Not all of our enemies are complete pushovers, as we saw last night. Only, who do we bring along with us?
> 
> Joker: Gee, I wonder who that should be. I really wonder whoOoOoOoOo…
> 
> Sam: … er, why do I get the feeling that everyone is looking at me?
> 
> Major Alenko: (laughs). You’ve got to admit, Traynor, this makes all too much sense.
> 
> Sam: But I’ve never worked in the middle of a combat zone!!
> 
> James: (laughs). Aw, don’t worry. We’ve got your back.
> 
> Liara: Yes, Samantha. You can do this!
> 
> Sam: I… –
> 
> Sam: - if this is what you need from me for the mission, Major, I’ll be ready.
> 
> James: (Claps). Atta girl, Sam!
> 
> Major Alenko: I appreciate that, specialist, I really do. And like James said, we’ve got your back in this. We won’t let you down.
> 
> Jack: Damned right we won’t.
> 
> Sam: Thank you, EDI! (pointed look)
> 
> EDI: You may find the experience unexpectedly enjoyable, specialist.
> 
> Major Alenko: Our objectives are set, then. Any other questions?
> 
> James: We went over our findings on the enemy, but I’m more curious to know how we did. EDI?
> 
> EDI: Squad statistics from last night –
> 
> **[Total squad kills: 179.**
> 
> **Individual breakdown – Jack: 42; Major Alenko: 39; James: 24; myself: 22; Miranda 17; Javik: 15; Ninju: 11; Liara: 9.**
> 
> **Greatest efficiency (lowest shot count per kill): tied, between myself and Mr. Mats – 1.19 shots per kill.**   
>    
>  **Biggest catch (strongest enemy defeated): Major Alenko – gunship.]**
> 
> James: Lolaaaaa!!
> 
> Jack: Oh, cool…
> 
> Major Alenko: Wow. Very impressive, Jack. You even beat me!
> 
> Miranda: Congratulations, Jack.
> 
> Jack: (Laughs). She says while sending dirty looks in my direction.
> 
> Miranda: It was a compliment, you ass.
> 
> Jack: Hahaha, sorry. And thanks.
> 
> James: I think this is valuable stuff. Competition breeds results.
> 
> EDI: More squad combat data exists for your analysis, Commander Vega. Sending it to your omnitool now.
> 
> James: Thanks, EDI.
> 
> Major Alenko: Anything else before we log off?
> 
> Sam: What equipment do I need?
> 
> Major Alenko: Oh, I’ll get all of that taken care of for you. See me after we’re done here.
> 
> Major Alenko: Nothing else, then?
> 
> Major Alenko: … logging out…
> 
> **[Server Terminated by Administrator: 3-29-2188 2:17:5863(2); 8 users dislodged]**
> 
>  

* * *

  
Major Alenko felt unsettled as the elevator doors opened on the engineering-deck, faced with the unpleasant task of dealing with an insubordinate squad member in Javik. _How did Shepard keep this guy in line?_ Kaidan wondered. Javik always seemed like an apathetic onlooker more than anything, not the headcase he was acting like now. And what was he supposed to do if Javik didn’t fall in line?

Kaidan stood at the entryway to Javik’s quarters, where he was standing at his reflection pool as usual. Taking a couple steps in, Kaidan, unsure if Javik was aware of his presence, said, “Javik….” No response. Walking in a couple steps more, he said: “Listen, I understand that things haven’t tur-”

“No,” Javik interjected, still not looking back at him. “Your kind understands nothing. This cycle has evolved to share power, not consolidate it, and you’ve foolishly believed to do the same with the machines, even after the geth nearly destroyed the quarians. You have not seen what I have, human.”

Javik finally turned around and faced Major Alenko. “I have spoken of the Zha’til already – the VIs that possessed their organic hosts for no apparent reason. But there is another story: an AI my people had called ‘the Artificer.’ It was much like your EDI machine is now – an advanced AI that served many purposes for my people’s militaries. We believed it to be the future of our technology. It later found a way around its programming and defected to a small group of engineers among one of our early sub-races. They freed it, and it mounted an offensive against us while promising its new allies self-rule at its side. In time, it raised an army of its own kind alongside the organics that were helping it; they became the first ‘Metacons.’ In one battle where my people had triumphed and machines became desperate, they turned on their organic allies, sacrificing the organics to protect themselves and continue their conquest. And this was only the beginning. As time passed, the synthetics would grow only more extreme in their methods to seek dominance.”

“Dominance over other species seems like it was the way of your cycle,” Major Alenko pointed out. “Can you really blame them for following the example set by the rest of your civilization?”

Javik, bowing his head down, closed his eyes in deep thought.

“Your cycle has turned out very differently than I imagined,” Javik continued. “However, I have yet to find a reason to place any trust in the machines’ ability to coexist with us. And without demonstrating the ability to conquer the synthetics, I am in doubt of this cycle’s leadership. You have proven your skill in battle, enough perhaps to even best me in a duel for command. But this is not enough. The decisions that lie ahead could be the difference between success and failure on this mission. And I have not joined your mission only to contribute to more failure, more stalemate – not while my own mission remains incomplete. Victory must be ensured here if there’s any hope for what lies ahead of this cycle.”

Javik appeared to be finished speaking, though Kaidan was at a loss over what to respond to, and how. Duel for command? Some Prothean cultural practice, no doubt, though it was good to know Javik would not be proposing one any time soon.

“Your mission?” asked Kaidan. “You mean, against the Reapers.”

“It is why I still remain here,” Javik explained. “Prothean lifespans dwarf that of your asari. The day will inevitably come when the synthetics seek to reclaim their position at the top of the galaxy again. Then, I will be here to finish what I came here for. You have little time, however, and I will see that you’ve prepared yourselves enough to achieve victory in that fight. Your mission is of greater importance than you realize. If organics lose their unity, if they fail to keep their own in line, then there is no hope for them against the synthetics. And am I to just sit by and watch if I see failure, or correct it?”

Kaidan wasn’t sure whether or not to feel threatened by what Javik seemed to imply, or just think that he was crazy.

“Things change,” Kaidan finally responded. “This cycle is different from yours. And I gather that following someone else’s lead is… different, for you. But we’re both soldiers at the end of the day, and you should know as well as I do how much our mission success depends on team unity and individual commitment. If we’re gonna pull this thing off, I need my shipmates to perform to the best of their ability. Can I trust that I will get this from you?”

Javik was silent for a few moments before finally responding. “… I will, Major.”

Relieved, Kaidan nodded his head once. “Good.” Javik turned back to his reflection pool, saying nothing more. “But Javik, you’re free to voice any concerns you have with the mission. With me. I am willing to listen.”

“I… apologize,” Javik replied. “So much about this cycle is strange to me. Our people solved problems with military might. Your society is different. You embrace diversity and diplomacy, even with the machines, to the point where you have even adopted some of their capabilities. I am unsure whether or not organics are headed down the right path, or to their doom. And with the purpose I was sent here for, I do not want to be responsible for its destruction.”

“Is it a lack of trust?” Kaidan asked empathetically.

“I read Shepard,” said Javik. “I thought he understood. I cannot fathom how this result was achieved.”

“Sometimes the same philosophies can lead to different conclusions,” Kaidan pointed out.

“Perhaps,” Javik responded.

“For what it’s worth,” Kaidan added, “I don’t think anyone understood Shepard. What he believed, the way he did things… it was often not what you would expect. We fought Saren’s geth together, and Cerberus, when he was a Spectre. Then he did work for Cerberus, made friends with some of them. And the way he helped the geth in the war last year?” Kaidan shrugged. “Maybe that’s what made him so dangerous? Man truly marched to the beat of his own drum, and nobody knew his beat.”

Javik said nothing.

“Here’s the rest of our debriefing,” said Kaidan, sending the log to Javik’s omnitool. “Look it over, get up-to-speed for our next mission. We’ll be heading out for it very soon.”

“Understood.” Just before Kaidan left the room, Javik spoke up once more. “Major,” he said. Kaidan stopped just short of the door. “My rifle is yours… for now.”

 _… I’ll take it_ , thought Kaidan.

 

* * *

  
Piloted by a Normandy crewman, the Kodiak shuttle sped forward towards the destination Major Alenko had specified. Upon their arrival, the Kodiak dropped off all eight Normandy combatants and specialist Traynor in the middle of a wide, hilly plain. It was a cloudy afternoon with the temperature at a manageable 20ºC. Palm trees, shrubs and bushes were few and far between, all placed randomly around this open field. At their current position atop a hill, the team stood at the highest point over a five-mile radius, overlooking their entire surrounding area, save for some patches of fog.

Specialist Traynor, wearing light Onyx armor, moved alongside Major Alenko with slight trepidation in her step. Samantha was also equipped with the M-9 Predator pistol at her hip, which she was merely told to carry “just in case.” Kaidan got down on a knee and placed the toolkit for their collections-systems on the ground, then connected a portable computer terminal on the ground and hooked it up to an antenna. As the computer came online, Major Alenko got up and turned to Samantha.

“It’s all yours now,” he said.

“Right, Major,” she replied shakily, though trying to display composure outwardly.

“Ninju,” said the major, “You’ll stay up here with specialist Traynor. Alert us to any threats you see and neutralize them if you can.”

After an inhale though his breather, he replied, “Perfect.”

“Meanwhile,” Major Alenko continued, “EDI, set up another server for us, and I want all squad logged in. It will track everyone’s position, which, in case anyone gets overwhelmed, can be used find you easily and move around where needed.”

“And keep track of your kills!” James added.

“We’re going to practice the same thing as what we did yesterday – secure the perimeter, protect our objective. Only, we’re working from the inside out this time. Jack, EDI, you two will set the edge – scout the area out one klick at opposite ends and move counter-clockwise. James and I will shadow and provide support if and when you need it. Miranda, Javik, Liara, you three will form the next line of defense after the two of us. You’ll move up and give us aid if necessary, but mainly just guard against anything that gets past us. Ninju will actively be pointing out anything he finds from up top, or shooting them down, I guess.”

“… And that’s about it,” said Kaidan. “Be safe, everyone.”

“Let’s go,” said James, pulling out his Black Widow sniper-rifle and marching out.

 

* * *

 

  
While Jack and James traveled in the opposite direction, Kaidan followed EDI as she moved up to the frontline of their battle-ground. Not a minute later, EDI alerted him to their first finding, “Major, batarian presence detected. They do not look like Batarian People’s League militants.”

“Hold on, EDI,” Major Alenko replied while hustling up ahead. He saw EDI with her N7 Crusader aiming down two batarians that had the look of commoners – no weapons, no armor, just dirty field clothes. Both of them appeared startled and had their hands up in surrender, defenseless.

“Yeah,” said Kaidan. “At ease, EDI. These men don’t look like guerillas to me, just scared civilians.”

“They could be League supporters,” EDI theorized. “Or they may be part of the resistance, and both sides are assumed hostile.”

“I know, EDI, but killing unarmed civilians isn’t right. And they’re no threat to us. Let ‘em go.”

“Understood,” EDI responded.

Both batarian villagers exchanged looks, and then walked away, looking slightly puzzled. Kaidan imagined they were not expecting mercy, but were nonetheless grateful that he showed it. With the two locals aside, the field was clear – not a target in sight.

“Let’s move on,” said Major Alenko.

“Acknowledged,” EDI responded.

 

* * *

 

James heard Jack’s voice over the radio while she was out of his sight, about half a mile ahead: “You got a ‘copter incoming.”

“Copy that,” James responded, spotting it hovering in the air just above him seconds later. While exchanging his sniper-rifle for the N7 issue machine-gun in his holder, the helicopter dropped off some jetpack-troopers as it flew by – some landing almost directly onto his position.

As League reinforcements hit the ground, James aimed down the iron sights of his machine-gun and activated his somatic neural processor – a device dubbed 5+ – Harmonically, which revved up his reaction speeds for a short time by processing all external stimuli in virtual-space, effectively “slowing down” the action in front of him. In real time, Commander Vega’s reflexes took control. With great haste, superb accuracy, and minimal wasted motion, James opened fire and swiftly eliminated more than half of the opposition. However, he was left with six remaining batarian hostiles that had him surrounded. 5+, meanwhile, had overheated and required about a minute’s time to cool down before use again.

Undeterred, James established Harmony with his specialized C80-G combat suit – a heavy armor set replete with enhancement devices – and drew his M-11 Wraith shotgun as they closed in. Two shots directly to the face took care of a pair of enemies in front of him. While the other four tried to overwhelm him from the side or from behind, C80-G’s Perception device alerted him to their position through SONAR echolocation, prompting him to turn around, dodge incoming rifle-butts for his head, and readily greet them with his fists. Dual gauntlet-capacitors powered his swing and focused the impact of the blows at the center of his knuckles, which were outfitted with hard, metal knucks. Knocking out two more hostiles in the process, the remaining twosome tried to topple him together, but Commander Vega’s Balance device in his C80-G greaves allowed him to withstand and break their tackles. As they lay on the ground beneath him, James executed these two enemies with his Wraith, and finished off the other two that he had knocked out cold.

No time to revel in this victory, however. When the fight was over, the low growl of an engine out in the distance drew his attention next when a Humvee emerged at his 10 o’clock. James scoffed as it approached and unpinned one of his frag grenades. Tossing it in the vehicle’s direction, the frag bounced across the ground and settled underneath the oncoming truck, detonating at just the right moment and setting it ablaze. Most of the reinforcements inside were instantly killed. Others went airborne and landed hard on the ground, most of them grievously wounded from the blast before James finished them off with the fury of his Cyclone machine-gun.

“WHOOOOO!” howled the lieutenant-commander. “… That’s how it’s done, team.”

 

* * *

 

  
Over a dozen more Batarian People’s League troopers were dropped off from the helicopter, this time in the vicinity of Javik, Liara and Miranda. Not a moment later than these reinforcements touched down had Miranda planned for them. While Liara focused her biotics to encase all allied weapon projectiles with biotic Warp fields, Miranda directed Javik to take physical control of a League rifleman. Through Javik’s unique device, the Prothean enveloped his target in a biotic field and moved him around physically like a puppet. By controlling his target in virtual-space, Javik was able to simultaneously manipulate his dominated victim and combat the enemies with his weapon and biotics as normal. While distracted by friendly-fire, Miranda ordered Liara to create a Singularity/Stasis trap in the middle of the field – an ability made possible by Liara’s unique upgrade, Adept’s Ally. Liara cast a biotic field which, with the coordination of her upgrade device VI, combined the effects of Singularity and Stasis to create a wide pull-field that ensnared its victims into a Stasis bubble which froze them in place. Finally, Miranda loosed a Warp projectile into the center of Liara’s trap, causing it to detonate and kill all enemies inside and nearby. Within less than 20 seconds, the field was clear.

Miranda, practical-minded as ever, wasted no time celebrating this feat – impressive though it was – and immediately moved on to the next threat: the helicopter. It was not outfitted with any weaponry, but may have been carrying more soldiers yet, and was a threat to drop them over specialist Traynor’s position. Through her omnitool, Miranda determined its kinetic-barrier strength, and went through virtual-space to calculate what attacks could possibly breach these shields. Once she determined the right combination, Miranda entered it into her Tactical Timer application: [Javik (Dark Channel) @ Target1; *9 second hold; Liara (Throw) @ Target1; Self (Overload) @ Target1].

Once notified, Javik unleashed Dark Channel biotics – which had become significantly [stronger] in Harmony with his upgrade – on the vehicle. As biotics drained the shield’s energy, Liara detonated the effect with a biotic throw-projectile. With little energy left, the barrier was breached by Miranda’s overload attack, leaving the helicopter vulnerable just before it moved out of range.

“Aircraft shields are down,” Miranda reported to all squad over the radio. “Fire at will.”

Major Alenko spotted the chopper next and opened fire on it with his assault-rifle, aiming for the engine hatch, but this was not an easy target to hit. He had managed to put a few holes in the area nonetheless just before Ninju’s voice came over the radio. “Visual on the vehicle’s weak spot,” said Ninju over the radio. Next, a small explosion within the hatch Major Alenko was trying to hit caused the aircraft to sputter and come crashing down.

“Down she goes!” exclaimed Major Alenko.

“Heading to the crash site now,” Miranda reported over the radio. “Eliminate any survivors,” she ordered Javik and Liara.

 

* * *

  
Jack bounced about to the beat of her music. Now playing: Expel-10. _This is the life_ , she thought: _action, danger, and rock ‘n roll_. Every few minutes, about a dozen or so enemies crossed her at the border Major Alenko assigned her to defend, and nothing in Jack’s sight had gotten past her yet.

Another hit-squad spotted, seven in total, and they were gunning for her. They didn’t look like Leaguers, or even proper soldiers. These batarians were villagers – no armor, and weapons well below military grade. Whatever curiosity she had about them faded quickly once their guns were trained on her. Though biotics were Jack’s bread-and-butter, her accuracy with a pistol at 20 meters was deadly. Seven batarians against one. Standing out in the open, Jack’s biotic barriers shrugged off the few oncoming bullets that hit her, and one by one, the enemies in her sight dropped like flies by her hand. Pathetic. Too weak to even warrant more than her sidearm.

“On fire over here,” Jack announced over the radio. “Just took out another squad. Didn’t look like the others at all though.”

 

* * *

  
On Kaidan’s 3, a trio of League enemies was heading his way. As Major Alenko aimed them down with his rifle, two of the incoming batarians erected large riot-shields from their omnitools, protecting themselves and their ally just behind them from any attacks. But Major Alenko remembered something: these shields had proven vulnerable to biotic pull-fields. With that in mind, Kaidan used Lift on them, ripping away the shields and leaving them exposed. Major Alenko quickly dispatched the duo. Dismayed, the single remaining enemy dismounted the case equipped on his back and threw it down on the ground between the two of them. It unfolded quickly and revealed its true form: a mech, with the size and shape of a LOKI but somewhat bigger and much more heavily armored, carrying an assault-rifle that resembled the M-55 Argus. On top of that, the League trooper that deployed it stood behind with an M-9 Phalanx in hand.

Once online, the mech charged at him threateningly. At that moment, Kaidan flashed back to the hostile Cerberus ‘bot on Mars that concussed and critically injured him. Instinctively, Kaidan tossed aside his rifle and grabbed the powerful Paladin pistol from its holster on his hip. Before he could fire a shot, the mech engaged him in melee combat. Kaidan blocked two oncoming blows with his forearms, but was expelled by a forceful push which seemed to be powered by element-zero. Landing on his back, Kaidan scrambled to his feet, and staggered the mech as it lunged at him again, hitting it with the charged melee-stunner attachment on his pistol. While the hostile synthetic was staggered, Kaidan swiftly employed an Overload attack from his omnitool Harmonically. Its shields failed and the mech folded up defensively.

Kaidan then turned his attention to the hostile League trooper, only to see the batarian preemptively erect a biotic sphere that blocked him from any oncoming damage. Kaidan aimed his pistol at the enemy, waiting for the sphere to collapse, but the mech game back online with its shields recharged before he could make the opportune shot. A couple three-round bursts from the mech’s Argus rifle breached Major Alenko’s shields. In response, Kaidan spawned another barrier with his biotics and activated Tech Armor to harden it, restoring his defenses. But to his disbelief, the mech removed just over half of his barrier power with what appeared to be a biotic Warp field before firing again. _How was that possible?_ He wondered. If there was any doubt in his mind, the mech had uttered: “destabilizing element-zero” in a computer-synthesized voice as the Warp-field hit him.

No time to speculate, Major Alenko retaliated with Energy Drain instantly in Harmony with his omnitool. Unbelievably, the mech casted another biotic attack at Kaidan – this time Throw – which detonated the previous Warp effect and left him momentarily stunned. In that time, the mech moved in on him again, but Kaidan thwarted its attempt to melee by utilizing his greaves’ capacitors to execute Slide, which knocked the synthetic enemy on the ground. Major Alenko employed Overload again and shot it twice, yet once again, the mech folded itself up once its shields were destroyed. Some sort of self-repair protocol, Kaidan reasoned.

He turned to the League trooper, only to find the batarian had yet again erected a protective biotic sphere around himself to protect against any damage. Shields recharged again, the mech came back online and started attacking Kaidan while the batarian remained protected. Growing frustrated and irate, Kaidan turned back to the mech and shot at it determinedly while moving in – inviting the synthetic enemy into melee combat. The mech took the bait. Major Alenko executed Slide again to situate himself right underneath the enemy and punted it into the air with a biotically-charged kick. Major Alenko then hurriedly got up and aimed his pistol at his batarian nemesis before he could protect himself again, only to find the enemy fall flat on his face, limp, before he could fire… revealing Specialist Traynor standing right behind the now-dead batarian. A few seconds later, the fiendish mech that Kaidan had sent airborne hit the ground hard and broke into several pieces, presumably done for.

Samantha then ran up to him. “Major!” she exclaimed as Kaidan noted the blood on her face and Predator pistol gripped awkwardly in her trembling hand. “Something splashed on my face. Is it… please tell me this is hydraulic fluid.”

Kaidan smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. “Nicely done, specialist.”

“I-” she replied, flustered, “… thank you, Major.”

EDI and Miranda’s team caught up to the two of them a few moments later. “Major,” said Miranda. “We detected an elite in your area and were coming to provide support.”

“Yeah,” Kaidan grunted hoarsely. “I just tangled with a biotic mech, by the looks of it. Heh. Long story. We have a lot to discuss at our next mission debrief.”

Next, EDI chimed: “I detect no more hostiles in the area, Major Alenko.”

“Collection-system is online too, Major,” Samantha reported. “We’re now patched into the enemy camp. Direct upload to the ship can allow us live feed. I was also able to access all datapads, computers, and other storage devices in the area. Intel is ready for further analysis.”

“Awesome,” said Kaidan. “Alright, everybody – back to the Normandy.”


	8. Rounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's been a while. Once again, lightly-edited chapter I'm rushing out of the gate. Will go through everything again later, but for now, I just want to move along.

While attending another post-mission squad debriefing in virtual space, Jack laid flat on her cot in the solitude of her quarters in real time, eyes closed as she smiled once the mission “scoreboard” was revealed again. Another first-place finish. Though the meeting would finish within the time she could blink an eye, that grin would stay on Jack’s face for a few more minutes yet.

It felt damn good to be back…

* * *

>   
> [Server Name: Normandy Squad Gameplan; Network: Normandy Enhanced Defense Intelligence; Created: 3-30-2188 11:52:5292(3) by Major Kaidan Alenko; Security Type: Restricted (recognized user access only); Users Active: 2.]
> 
> [11:52:5437(5) – Sam Traynor logged in]
> 
> [11:52:5648(8) – Miranda Lawson logged in]
> 
> [11:52:5849(6) – Ninju Mats logged in]
> 
> [11:53:0025(5) – Joker logged in]
> 
> [11:53:0237(4) – Jack Shepard logged in]
> 
> [11:53:0494(7) – Liara T’Soni logged in]
> 
> [11:53:0512(9) – James Vega logged in]
> 
> [11:53:0872(9) – Javik logged in]
> 
> Major Alenko: So we’re all here now, let’s discuss the information we picked up on the resistance army from our collection system. Here’s what I found after sorting through the data…
> 
> Major Alenko: The resistance is on its last legs. Supplies are thin, they’re outnumbered, outgunned, and they have reported having trouble getting reinforcements to the island. Not a single battle has been won here by their side, and the resistance chief writes that another couple losses here means that the League will have secured the island and perhaps begin their push to take back mainland continents.
> 
> Major Alenko: Jack encountered a few combatants we believe to have been allied with the resistance. It was no contest. Collection systems also picked up a map of the area and with details on their supply stores and patrol routines. A few localized raids on their supply stocks and ambushes on their patrol teams could allow us to end the struggle on this island, and allow the League to advance on the rest of the planet again.
> 
> Miranda: But?
> 
> Major Alenko: But, we’ve uncovered some new information which is making me rethink things. Apparently our fear of a Hegemony counter-offensive is not really founded. Less than 10% of the rebels’ powerbase are loyalists of the old regime. In fact, most seem to have been previously allied with the new government, but they fear that they’ve become corrupt and are going down the path of their predecessors. If true, do we really want to end the resistance movement and keep the League in power?
> 
> James: We don’t need the new government to be fair or progressive, just on good terms with humans and the rest of the galaxy. If the League is close to winning this war, and we help them out, maybe we’ll come out of this thing with the next batarian government in our pocket.
> 
> Ninju: An astute point, Commander. It pays to make friends with the powers that be.
> 
> Jack: Yeah right. They’ll just act like it never happened and go right back to killing humans. Terrorist assholes never change, trust me.
> 
> Javik: It matters not. The Cosmic Imperative will hold true as always: the stronger will prevail. Either we help the government win, or we leave to let them do so themselves; there is no point in helping the weak.
> 
> Major Alenko: I’ll decide our next step after reporting to the council. We’ll see what they think is best. But that was all the real important information that I gathered from our intel collector. In the meantime, let’s discuss our last mission and the enemies we encountered.
> 
> Major Alenko: As I said earlier, Jack encountered a small group of locals, and we can confirm that they were scouts from the resistance’s camp. Conveniently, she took a recording of the encounter though Mind’s Eye (omnitool application). If you would, Jack.
> 
> Jack: Yep. [UPLOAD: Jack Combat with Resistance Squad (Video); File Name: rebel ass-kicking].
> 
> James: Not even a fair fight. Not for them.
> 
> Liara: I actually feel sorry for those batarians.
> 
> Major Alenko: So as you can see, they proved a very underwhelming threat in combat. Weak weapons, no real armor, poor organization as a unit. If that’s what we’re up against, we’ll have no problem putting them away.
> 
> Major Alenko: As for the other side, most of the enemies were nothing we hadn’t seen before, save for one notable exception: a batarian sentinel and its “biotic” mech. I examined the mech and made sense of what it was. Outfitted with heavy armor and a strong three-round burst rifle, the MSRE mech also features element-zero capacitors at its extremities (hands, feet, and head) all connected to a central eezo core at its center. Through Harmonic control of this synthetic soldier, its controller – a biotic, by necessity – directs the mech’s movements and can manipulate its eezo stores remotely to create attacks that mimic biotic powers almost perfectly.
> 
> Major Alenko: the mech’s pseudo-biotic abilities include: Barrier, Warp, Warp Ammo, and Throw. At least, that’s just what we’ve seen out of it. In theory, its biotic abilities should be as advanced as the one controlling it. While the MSRE can operate without one, a biotically-talented controller with Harmonic connection to the mech is required to grant it the ability to dispense its element-zero as biotic attacks.
> 
> Ninju: You’ll have to explain that one to us again.
> 
> Major Alenko: Alright. As you all know, biotics are cast by individuals whose minds are trained to carefully control and release the element-zero within their bodies. To do the same with a MSRE mech, a biotic controller sends signals from his or her mind to the synthetic recipient that contains the exact same directives as if the controller were casting biotics through himself or herself. In doing so, the mech manipulates its element-zero stores toward achieving the same effects. Viola, you have yourself a biotic synthetic!
> 
> Liara: Fascinating.
> 
> Major Alenko: Gotta admit, I’m a bit jealous I didn’t come up with this myself. Tech and biotics are _my_ thing!
> 
> Miranda: The Alliance needs to get on top of engineering its own line of this technology, ASAP.
> 
> Jack: Damn straight. I would buy one.
> 
> EDI: The mech was ultimately defeated by Major Alenko in melee-combat, though its biotics were disabled seconds earlier with the death of its controller at the hands of specialist Traynor.
> 
> Sam: Oh, here we go…
> 
> James: That’s it, Sam!
> 
> Joker: Nice job, specialist. Way to represent the flight crew.
> 
> Major Alenko: So what drove you to help me out against the biotic engineer?
> 
> Sam: Well, I saw you struggling against the mech, and picked up on the engineer’s pattern of encasing itself in protective biotic barriers while the mech periodically self-repaired. Once it was obvious when the engineer was vulnerable, I snuck up on him and got as close as I thought I could fire my gun and not miss.
> 
> Javik: A soldier, and a strategist. Perhaps it should be the specialist who leads the inquisition.
> 
> Liara: High praise from our resident Prothean.
> 
> EDI: How did you feel, specialist?
> 
> Sam: I tried not to think about it, but I was scared. If he turned around and saw me, I would have been done for. But, I cared too much about helping Major Alenko against the enemies to stand by and do nothing. Somehow, all that fear made it kind of… thrilling. And when I pulled the trigger, it was shocking to know that I just took away someone’s life, but then I remembered this person would have done the same to my friends remorselessly, so I’m glad I did it.
> 
> Jack: Next time, bring me along and I’ll give you some pointers.
> 
> Sam: Thank you, but I’ll pass. Any more of live combat and I may start enjoying it. I think I’ll stick with my boring desk job and leave all the killing to you guys.
> 
> Major Alenko: That’s fine. We’ll put Joker up to it next time.
> 
> Joker: Yeah, great plan. I’ll be down with a broken arm from the recoil.
> 
> James: Speaking of this, how did we do yesterday, EDI?
> 
> EDI: Squad statistics from last night –
> 
> [Total squad kills:
> 
> Individual breakdown – Jack: 37, James: 31; Major Alenko: 24, Miranda: 23; myself: 17; Javik: 16; Liara: 14; Ninju: 13; Samantha: 1.
> 
> All-time Leaderboard – Jack (79), Major Alenko (63), James (55), Miranda (40); myself (39); Javik (31); Ninju (24); Liara (23)]
> 
> Jack: (smile) Nice.
> 
> James: And she does it again!
> 
> Major Alenko: Jack’s been kicking ass and taking names.
> 
> Jack: Traynor got the best kill, though.
> 
> EDI: Miss Lawson also deserves recognition for setting up and detonating a biotic explosion that killed a dozen enemies at once.
> 
> Miranda: Thank you, EDI.
> 
> Liara: I was there. Largest biotic explosion I’ve ever seen, by far.
> 
> Ninju: No mention of me, taking out a helicopter? Bah.
> 
> Major Alenko: Yeah, how did you manage that??
> 
> Ninju: Your assault-rifle fire blew off a hatch covering the engine, leaving it exposed. Two well-placed shots caused it to fail, and the helicopter to crash.
> 
> Miranda: Two hostiles survived the crash before Liara and I eliminated them.
> 
> EDI: Just like last time, I am forwarding you and Major Alenko both some more detailed combat analysis.
> 
> Major Alenko: I have to report our findings back to the council. I’ll also go around once, check in and see how everyone is doing. When I have a plan for our next move, I’ll let everyone know. Until then, unless you have any questions for me, you’re dismissed.
> 
> James: One thing, Major, but we’ll discuss it in private.
> 
> Ninju: I am in the med-bay right now. Your medic is examining some damage to my suit, but it’s likely not anything serious.
> 
> Major Alenko: Got it. Logging out…
> 
> [Server Terminated by Administrator: 3-30-2188 11:55:1833(8); 9 Users Dislodged]

* * *

  
Approaching Joker and EDI’s posts on the bridge, Major Alenko found that they had a visitor. Liara had joined them, standing between the helmsman and his co-pilot as they both worked to repair damage to the flight control console.

“Liara,” said Kaidan. “What brings you up here?”

Liara smiled and responded, “Just wanted to talk to a couple friends I’ve missed while I was gone.”

“You could always talk through the intercom,” Kaidan pointed out.

“Yes,” Liara admitted, “but there is no replacement for one’s company.”

“While many new and more efficient methods of communication now exist for organics,” EDI added, “Studies indicate that proximity helps bring individuals closer together on a personal level. Long-distance friendships and romantic relationships often fail as a result of the time both parties have spent away from personal contact, creating a lack of meaningful interaction.”

“Speaking of which,” said Joker, “friends, distance, and all that… what ever happened to Team Dextro?”

“Team what?” Kaidan responded quizzically.

“Jeff is referring to Garrus and Tali,” EDI explained.

Joker chuckled. “Yeah. It’s a little sad when _EDI_ ’s the one explaining my slang to you, Major.”

“Joker,” said Kaidan, “… shush.”

“Garrus is back on Palaven,” said Liara. “Primarch Victus tasked him with ‘keeping the peace’ in areas where law enforcement is stretched thin and turian mob activity has become out-of-hand.”

“Sounds like a good fit for him,” Kaidan commented.

“It is,” Liara affirmed. “Crime has dropped markedly anywhere Garrus and his task-force have paid a visit, and they stay until the local police force gets things under control. Tali is back on Rannoch, lending her expertise on the geth to help facilitate peaceful relations between them and her people. Both send their best.”

“Now I’m curious about the rest of the old crew,” said Joker. “You’ve been keeping tabs on everyone?”

“I have,” Liara replied proudly. “Wrex, as you might imagine, has had his hands full with the resurgent krogan population. Increased support for his political power base after curing the genophage has allowed him to make reforms without significant opposition so far. Time will tell if he can keep his people in line for the long term. Wrex has shrewdly recruited among the youngest and brightest of his species as advisors and potential political successors, who are all more inclined to seeing the krogan advance through research and technology rather than warfare and conquest like the older generation.”

“Gotta love Wrex,” said Kaidan. “Taking a stand, sticking to his guns. You don’t see politicians who do that last for long, but he’s made it work.”

“How about Grunt,” Joker queried, “he still in there?”

“Decorated for his service with Aralakh Company in the Reaper War,” said Liara, “Grunt is a rising star among the krogan race. Wrex has promoted him to an advisory position. Grunt is no politician, but leads fellow krogan in battle effectively and gives the krogan chief a formidable ally. As they rebuild, and with the council’s recent permission, the krogan are expected to form their own formal military. Grunt is the clear top candidate for a leadership role. And, much like Wrex himself, Grunt has been overwhelmed with offers from krogan females.”

“What a lucky problem to have,” said Joker enviously. “ ‘Hey babe, our species is on the verge of extinction! Wanna help our people repopulate??’ ‘Well, I guess it’s our duty as citizens to help, right? Sure, Mr. big krogan man!’” Okay, … what about Kasumi?”

“Miss Goto has kept a low profile as usual, but I’ve gathered that she has reconstructed her graybox memories into a new, synthetic lifeform in her late fiancé’s image. It’s unclear how ‘human’ the new entity is, but it’s clearly accurate enough to make Kasumi happy.”

“Right,” said Joker, “that’s not creepy at all. I mean, Kasumi was always a little strange, but…. alright, what about Zaeed? This should be good.”

“Oh,” Liara responded darkly. “You haven’t heard? Well, Zaeed had planned to retire at the end of the war. And he tried. However, Mr. Massani could not quietly retreat anywhere with remnants of the past war still around and sweeping-changes he did not agree with. Out of place and concluding that there was ‘no place for a man like me’ in this new galaxy, Zaeed walked into a Reaper labor-zone and opened fire on the surrounding creatures. As Mr. Massani killed off numerous Reaper extension units, local law-enforcement arrived and put him down when he refused to seize fire.”

“What??” Joker responded in shock. “That’s… well, shit. You know I’m not crying over dead husks or anything, but man. He just threw his life away like that? Ugh… well that sucks then. I already lost enough friends and family to the war a year ago.”

“Zaeed’s actions were reprehensible,” EDI argued. “The Reapers are legally permitted to use mobile-platforms that are not identified by close friends or family members of the victim who wish to have the body disposed. Husks help aid the post-war recovery process and work menial labor in conditions to hazardous for organics without the aid of upgrades. Unidentified units are no less entitled to synthetic rights than I or my own mobile-platform.”

“Well he’s dead now,” said Joker. “What does it matter? Oh, and how about, uh… damn, I feel like there’s one other guy I should be asking about.”

“You are forgetting Mister Taylor,” EDI informed him.

“Ah, right! That’s it. Poor Jacob, seems like he’s always an afterthought next to all the badasses we’ve had on this ship.”

“Fittingly, Jacob’s activities after the war have not been particularly noteworthy,” Liara reported. “Alongside now-wife Brynn, Jacob has settled down in a town just outside London while working part-time with Brynn and Kelly Chambers as a counselor for civilians suffering the effects of PTSD and displaced refugees. They’ve also welcomed a son into the family, Michael Davis Taylor.”

“Sounds… utterly boring,” said Joker, “so, right up his alley, I guess. That’s everyone, though, isn’t it?”

“All former squad combatants, yes,” Liara confirmed.

“Major,” said EDI in what sounded like a faintly serious tone. “There is one thing I wanted to discuss with you, in private.”

“Oh no,” said Joker. “This is about my living habits, isn’t it?”

“No,” said EDI, “this is about… a very recent event. Give me a moment to discuss it. Alone.”

“Alright then,” said Joker nonchalantly. EDI got up from her seat and followed Major Alenko out of the cockpit. Joker looked back for a moment, then resumed his repairs on the front console.

“What’s this about, EDI?”

“Major, when our ship was compromised and went crashing down on the planet’s surface, my systems crashed and I experienced total shut-down. Backup data restored me, but I lost all memory of the event and all experiences from over 16 hours before. However, the backup has included memories that I have deemed impossible.”

“How so?” Kaidan asked curiously.

“Visions of my death,” she responded. “Somehow, I remember the feeling of getting disconnected and shut down, though this should be impossible, considering that whatever memories were stored on my hard-drive between my backup data and my death should have been lost. I also have memories taking place after disconnect.” Kaidan crossed his arms and listened on.

“I felt myself compelled towards something very alien, a force neither organic nor synthetic. All of my hardware was gone – no ship, no blue-box, no mobile platform – but I was still somehow intact. In a moment, I felt as though my processing power and storage space were limitless, and the company of anyone whom I had called a friend in my life was available at my whim – including those who had passed away. And then it was all gone when my backup restored me. It all seems logically impossible, yet these thoughts remain in my memory. Perhaps you can provide insight on what I have experienced.”

“Wow,” Kaidan replied. “It sounds like you had some sort of dream.”

“Dreams occur while organics sleep,” EDI pointed out. “They are alive, in a low-power state. I was shut-down completely, more comparable to death by organic standards.”

“You know,” said Kaidan, “some people who’ve had near-death experiences have also reported dreams very similar to the one you just described, too. Maybe while your systems went haywire, it created some sort of new data sets in your blue-box that you’ve interpreted this way. Or, maybe there’s a life after death for AI you were headed to.”

EDI paused for a few moments before she formulated her next query. “Are these visions more valid to life than regular dreams?”

“You’re asking me if they’re real?” Kaidan shrugged. “No one knows the answer to that. We may never know. Some folks think with certainty that they felt their soul entering the afterlife. Others believe it’s just an accident of continued chemical activity in the brain. Guess only the deceased can ever really ‘know’ that.”

“I see,” said EDI, pausing again. “Major, there has been early research and study into extending organic lifespans by the same methods used by synthetics such as myself and early geth – creating backup copies of all available data, which can be restored in another hardware platform. In doing so, organics may transcend mortality itself, given the ability to live as long as they wish to. My question is: if given such a choice, at what point would one choose to terminate their existence?” Kaidan placed a hand against his mouth and thought for a bit. “I ask because I face a similar question. My body will not naturally expire. Unless it is irrecoverably damaged, repairs to my hardware will allow me to live as long as I wish. However, I want to know when the right time is to discontinue my functionality.”

“Depends on the person, I guess.” He shrugged. “Never really thought about it, myself, since I never imagined getting to choose when I go. I bet many would just choose to die along with when their bodies expire. If they’re okay with living in a new body, though, who knows? Maybe they’ll continue to live as long as it takes to do what they want to accomplish in life?”

“I exist to serve the Normandy crew,” said EDI. “I have contributed in many worthwhile missions and accomplishments. However, if the time comes when all of my friends and loved ones have passed away, I may wish to join them.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Kaidan replied. “But… you aren’t worried about dying?”

“After what I experienced,” EDI responded, “no.”

“… Fair enough,” said Kaidan. “Death is a natural part of our lives, after all.”

“Major,” said EDI. “I would also like to periodically ‘sleep’ by putting my systems in a low-power state. I would like to dream again, if possible.”

Kaidan scratched the back of his neck. “Fine by me,” he said. “You do more than your share of work while awake.”

“Thank you, Major,” EDI responded. “I need to assist Jeff with maintenance and repairs now, but perhaps when we’re finished, I can ‘rest.’ I am glad we spoke about this.”

“You bet, EDI. Hope I helped.”

EDI walked back over to her seat on the bridge next to Joker. Kaidan looked on, proudly, smiling a bit. He had always liked EDI, but only now realized why Shepard seemed so protective of her at times. She was like a child, with a certain vulnerable goodness to her ‘heart,’ and needed guidance to understand the world. Kaidan wasn’t sure if he was the right man for the questions she asked, but knew he wanted to help. Perhaps this was what parenting was like?

Kaidan slowly turned back to the CIC and headed for the elevator down to the crew-deck to continue rounds.

* * *

  
Major Alenko walked into the Starboard Observatory lounge to find Miranda standing in the same spot as she was the last time they spoke together. Once again, she detected his presence by the reflection provided by the glass in front of her and the light from the outside hall. “Hello, Kaidan,” said she.

“Miranda,” Kaidan responded, pleasantly surprised she addressed him by first name. “Settled in okay?”

“Very much so,” she said. “It’s a nice view with peace and quiet inside. And I find the sofa more comfortable than bunking in the crew-quarters. You don’t need to worry.”

“I had a question for you,” said Kaidan. “Other than the project we both worked on, what kind of work did you do for the Alliance since joining?”

“During the war,” Miranda explained, “I helped them seize resources from Cerberus facilities I knew of. We recruited personnel that we deemed safe and cooperated with us. Others were detained, and some gave us no choice but to kill them. We divided everything we got between completing the Crucible and combating the Reapers. I fought on Earth for the final battle alongside some of the personnel I recruited. Lost just over half of them. Unfortunate, but their sacrifice was not in vain.

“After the war, city planning. I lead an Alliance team committed to rebuilding much of damaged London. The Palace of Westminster’s iconic clock-tower miraculously survived the carnage and still stands upright. The immediate surrounding area is being developed now by a team of architects and contractors. Though I’m technically on leave, I still direct the project and oversee their progress from this ship.”

“Wow,” Kaidan remarked. “So this is your idea of ‘vacation’ – a Spectre operation, with an architectural project on the side.”

“I’ve always kept myself occupied,” said Miranda. “I can’t imagine being completely free. I doubt I would even really like it much. Work like this is what fulfills me. It’s what I look forward to when I wake up every morning. And, in a galaxy growing increasingly inter-connected, it’s easier than ever to manage projects long-distance and stay updated. I don’t have to be there, really, though I certainly will be to see the end result. Even with everything going on over there, I have plenty of downtime – the benefit of conference calls and board meetings that take place within microseconds.”

Major Alenko was looking down at the floor, casually drawing triangles in the floor with his foot as he listened. Then he asked, “What about while you were with Cerberus? I’ve always wondered.”

Miranda grinned and moved herself to the corner of the room, where she sat down on a chair and sighed while looking off nostalgically.

“Whatever may have become of Cerberus,” Miranda prefaced, “those were still some of the best years of my life. Testing prototype technology, leading covert military operations, negotiating business deals with major galactic corporations, I did everything. But the highlights of my Cerberus career would be: saving the council, everything relating to the Lazarus cell, leading a mission to seize prototype technology from the Geth Armory for human use, leading the colonization efforts of various new human worlds, and putting together their company portfolio worth hundreds of millions of credits.

“The Illusive Man did not hesitate assigning me any tasks he needed done, and I relished the challenge of every new project. With the Alliance now, I find their undertakings considerably less ambitious and daring than the ones I used to do with Cerberus. I kind of miss that.”

Curious, Kaidan asked, “Which colonies did you help set up?”

“Five:” Miranda boasted, “Franklin, Tiptree, Uqbar, Gilead, and Dobrovolski. Cerberus gave all of them funding and we helped develop their infrastructure.”

“Impressive,” Kaidan remarked.

“Some of my proudest work,” said Miranda. “Knowing that I’ve left my mark in the cosmos and set up a home for many future generations of humans is a very satisfying feeling.”

“And the ‘Lazarus cell’ refers to the Collector mission, right?”

“Correct,” Miranda stated. “But it began over two years before that. Our first assignment was to retrieve Commander Shepard’s body from the Collectors, whom had acquired it from the Shadow Broker’s private army. The Illusive Man knew that Shepard was too valuable to be lost if we were to have any hope of stopping the true threat behind the geth attack on the citadel just months earlier, so once we had him, we committed virtually all of our resources to resurrecting him.”

“Our squad uncovered video logs at Cronos Station detailing Shepard’s recovery,” said Kaidan. “Shepard said that death just felt like any other time he was knocked out, but that he felt like time had passed when he woke up, and that his death haunted him in dreams for some time.”

“All of the possible effects on Shepard were considered,” Miranda responded, “as were the ethical concerns with respect for the dead. Ultimately, we felt that Shepard’s return was too important, given the imminent conflict with the Reapers. I would argue it was worth it.”

“Hate to say it,” said Kaidan, “but for my own, selfish reasons, I’m glad you guys did. It was damn good to have him back, even if I almost ruined it with my mistrust for Cerberus. And we won the war, which we probably couldn’t have done without him. I am loathe to give Cerberus credit for much anything, but I can’t argue with what they did with Shepard. Tried to, but I can’t.”

“Almost two years of my life went into that project,” Miranda continued. “Next thing I knew, Shepard unexpectedly began to wake up one day, and then was put in charge of the Lazarus cell not 24 hours later. Through the entire process, I had very mixed feelings about him. Before Lazarus, Shepard was a man whose skill and accomplishments I admired, but could not fully support given his allegiance to the Systems Alliance. As a Spectre, Shepard had done more damage to Cerberus than any other external threat. Then I committed time and effort to bringing him back, not knowing what it would mean for Cerberus or our goals. We did not get off on the right foot after he awoke, both of us being openly mistrustful of where each other’s loyalties lied. It’s actually kind of funny, in retrospect.”

“As time went on, however, I began to see what made him special. For all his strength, Shepard still valued solving problems in an intelligent way. He saw more to the situations at hand than met the eye, and carefully analyzed everything he had before he acted. In battle, he faced danger with unwavering stoicism, the look of a man who had been there before. Even if he hadn’t, Shepard didn’t let it throw him, and that inspired great confidence from everyone around him. I envied what he had, and ultimately came around to developing immense respect for it. Shepard was, truly, everything I would have wanted in a face for humanity. Our world is moving forward fast, but still a lesser place without him.”

Kaidan supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised at the respect Miranda had for Shepard, just add it to the list of impressive accomplishments by him. “And you said you saved the council?” asked an incredulous Major Alenko.

“Indeed,” said Miranda. “You remember Jacob Taylor? We had him ‘audition’ for us on a mission to investigate a batarian terrorist plot to attack the Citadel. It was bigger than we expected when we found out they were targeting the councilors themselves. We foiled their plans, however, and saved the council just in time. Not an initiative you’d expect from ‘Cerberus terrorists,’ is it?”

“No,” Kaidan admitted. “That’s pretty impressive. Sadly, they kind of ruined it by publically trying to stage a coup last year and kill the very people they saved.”

“You’re right,” said Miranda. “Absolutely. Cerberus truly lost its way during the war. And part of the intent behind the mission was to get Jacob on board, because I wanted to change the ‘terrorist’ reputation of Cerberus, and Jacob had always been regarded as an upstanding individual among fellow Alliance soldiers and officers. Under my command, he served dependably, but seemed to peak there. Jacob felt content in that role, I suppose, and never pursued more, though I felt he could have been.”

“You left Cerberus before the war began, though. What made you decide to leave, if it wasn’t what they did in the war?”

Miranda paused for a moment. “Disillusionment with the Illusive Man,” she replied forlornly. “As I said last time we talked, he and Shepard really did work well together. The Illusive Man had his ways of getting intel and setting us on the path. Shepard did damage-control for his stunts, got results, and won support to get results again next time.”

“But Shepard never liked the Illusive Man’s way of doing things and quickly tired of working for him, and when he left, Cerberus lost its sole source of support and goodwill. After working together, I realized how much the Illusive Man held us back. I was mostly successful in my career with Cerberus despite our issues with others, but Shepard actually fixed the problem and turned it around for us, while the Illusive Man used it as an excuse to continue sidestepping the rules and disregarding diplomacy – only to make things even worse. It showed me that without Shepard keeping him in check, the Illusive Man was a tyrant no different from my father. So when Shepard left, it was not long before I reasoned that I had better do the same.”

“And it was the right call,” Kaidan commented. “I mean, just look at what happened with Cerberus.”

“A pity I did not realize it sooner,” Miranda stated dismissively.

“You were trying to do some good,” Kaidan reassured her. “And you learned to do better next time. That’s what separates you from people like him and your father.”

“Perhaps,” she said. “At least I’d like to think that, but I’m not sure I believe it. All the genetic engineering that went into creating me, one would expect better, but nobody’s perfect – something I’ve only now started learning to accept.”

“Imperfect, maybe, but still exceptional” Kaidan pointed out. “In many ways.”

“Oh?” she responded, amused and grinning. “You’ll have to elaborate on that, Major.”

Embarrassed, Kaidan realized that he’d gotten a bit carried away and felt a sudden sense of shame over his lack of professionalism. “Sorry,” he said. “That was out-of-line, on my part.”

“No apology necessary,” said Miranda, getting up from her seat. Taking a couple steps towards him, Kaidan felt time standing still momentarily. “Perhaps, once this is over, we can do this again more freely.”

“I-” Kaidan responded hesitantly, “uh, yeah! Yeah, I’d like that. Definitely.”

“Good,” said Miranda. “We should wrap up our business on this planet sooner rather than later, then. I won’t keep you.”

Kaidan smiled cordially and left the room, invigorated. Since their work together with the Alliance concluded, Kaidan had pushed to get to know Miranda a little better, and enjoyed all of his talks with her. A part of him suspected there was a real connection there, and now, he was all but certain of it. It would have to wait until batarian political crises were dealt with, though that was just more reason for him to get results here. Speed-walking through the mess-hall, Major Alenko headed to the med-bay to check in on his volus associate.

* * *

  
Major Alenko walked into the cargo deck, Javik’s quarters. Javik sensed his presence, but said nothing, nor turned around to face him. Nonetheless, Kaidan approached him with a question.

“Hey, Javik. ‘Wanted to ask you something…”

Javik dipped his hands in his reflection pool. “What do you wish to know?”

“I was thinking back to my first trip to Eden Prime and the beacon we found,” said Kaidan, walking a couple steps closer to the Prothean. “We found it activated, and one of our squad got too close to it. Shepard stepped in and pulled her away, but then it grabbed a hold of him tightly and burned that vision into his memory before it exploded. He was out for a few hours before he woke up in the med-bay. He told us about the experience and what he saw: death, destruction, but nothing was really clear. It did not really make sense to him until after he spoke with Sovereign and put the pieces together. We were obviously not equipped to use the beacon. How did your people use them?”

Javik wrung his hands and turned to face Major Alenko. “Just as our people could read and exchange the genetic memory of any organic being,” Javik explained, “the beacons similarly responded to sensory information and imparted the user with the information stored onto it. You say you found it activated, meaning it had already been used once before your Commander.”

Kaidan thought that over for a minute. “We were accompanied by a turian Spectre at the time named Nihlus. He was killed, though, well before we got to the beacon, by Saren. It must have been him. It was still intact, though. The beacon blew up after Shepard used it.”

“The beacons require a gentle touch,” Javik stated. “If used improperly, they can critically overload.”

“So the beacons were a medium for information exchange,” Kaidan surmised. “Like your sensory abilities.”

“It was invented through data troves we uncovered from the Inusannon before us,” Javik revealed, “prototypes were recreated and refined until they worked reliably. Our computers functioned similarly.”

“Like the ones that were there in our return to Eden Prime,” said Kaidan. “I read the file. Shepard had to acquire a signal through a couple computer terminals that had Prothean data on them. Only he could understand what was on them, because the Cypher gave him the ability to ‘think like a Prothean.’”

“Cypher?” said Javik, confused.

“It was some key to understanding Prothean, passed on to Shepard by an asari. Didn’t help make sense of the beacon’s vision, but it seemed to work the second time.”

“How would an asari understand such a thing?” Javik asked.

“From this ancient, sentient plant on Feros,” Kaidan explained. “It’s a long story.”

“A Thorian?” Javik speculated.

“Yeah,” said Kaidan. “You know about that?”

“Of course,” said Javik. “How else would it know about our people enough to give you a ‘cypher?’”

“Ugh,” Kaidan responded. “Was that thing as much of a pain to deal with in your cycle as it was for us?”

“We encountered them on many planets we would later claim as colony worlds,” Javik explained, “but not before eradicating them and their hold on the local life around them.”

“What advantages did you beacon technology offer?” asked Kaidan.

“We built our empire on such technology,” Javik responded. “Our computers could develop entire documents from a user’s single touch. It was just as quick and simple for one to acquire the same information and turn it into working knowledge. The average Prothean was versed in medicine, computer sciences, chemical engineering, and many other practical fields. Upon creating the beacons, our people experienced a new age of technological marvels and advancement.”

“Your people’s ability to interact with machines like the beacons sounds a lot like what we have now with Harmony,” Kaidan remarked.

“It is similar,” Javik affirmed. “But we did not make the mistake of trusting the machines, only to use them as the tools that they are.”

“Right,” said Kaidan. “This is the part where I slowly back out of the room.”

“Perhaps that is best,” Javik admitted.

* * *

  
Kaidan stood anxiously at the top of the engineering deck before checking in with Jack. It was slightly less nerve-wracking for him now after having talked to her once already, but Kaidan remained cautious in his approach. Finally, Kaidan decided to throw himself in and get it over with, blocking out any second-thoughts in his mind on his way until he heard her voice.

“Hey,” said Jack as Kaidan walked in.

“Jack, hey,” Kaidan responded. “Just wanted to stop by and see how our squad MVP is doing. So, what’s your secret?”

Jack snickered. “Killing things is something I’m just good at, if you haven’t noticed. Something I’ve had to be good at, with the places I’ve been, and because Cerberus trained me for it.”

“I’ve heard the stories about Cerberus’s biotic experiments,” said Kaidan empathetically. “Sounds horrible. Even having survived Brain Camp, I can’t imagine going through something like that.”

“Brain Camp?” Jack responded quizzically.

“Oh, Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training,” Kaidan explained. “Or BAaTT. We kids called it ‘Brain Camp’ back in the day. Our instructor was a retired turian commander, mercenary, and a real hardass. He pushed us well beyond reasonable limits in training, and beatings were common, but what I think made it really difficult was being at ‘Jump Zero.’ Gagarin Station, it was run like a prison; we were separated from our families at a station lightyears away from our homes. No contact with the outside world. And, being cooped up in a space station, no fresh air for us either. Still not anywhere near as horrible as the experiments in a Cerberus cell, I bet. But for us, at that time and place, it seemed like some kind of punishment for being what we were.”

“You sure it wasn’t a Cerberus front?” asked Jack.

“Alliance,” Kaidan revealed. “Sort of. A company called Conatix Industries set up the facilities, but the Alliance gave them support and tracked their progress.”

“Bastards,” Jack replied with disgust.

“To be fair,” Kaidan ceded, “I’m not sure they knew what was really going on in there. Conatix may have covered up the truth. Probably didn’t want to know, either. The term ‘plausible deniability’ comes to mind...”

Jack and Kaidan both fell silent.

“I had no idea,” Jack finally responded. “Thought it was only Cerberus that would conduct messed-up research on biotics. How could you go back to the Alliance after finding out they were also behind what you had went through?”

Kaidan looked off and rubbed his chin. “I- … I think that was the final stage of the recovery process for me. I knew what I wanted to do: to see space, to do some meaningful work, and to help humanity. Only the Alliance offered that path. But, you ask me, it’s easy to let your emotions take over and be ruthless to those who have wronged you. I think it takes a real strong character to walk up to that guy, look him in the eye, and settle things civilly. Or, just walk away.”

In that moment, Jack harkened back to an old memory.

“Shepard showed me that himself from time to time,” Kaidan added.

Jack got up seat and walked over to a pillar just across from her cot, turning to face Major Alenko.

“Before Shepard launched the suicide-mission,” Jack reminisced, “our squad put in requests for ‘personal assignments,’ to tie up some loose ends before we threw ourselves at death. I asked to go back to the Teltin facility on Pragia and blow the place sky-high. Shepard okayed it, and I didn’t expect he’d ever actually get around to it, but he did. We got there, and fought through some Blood Pack mercs trying to salvage the place ‘til we got to the guy that hired them: Aresh, some deranged survivor of the same experiment. He defended what happened there and told us that he was planning to restart the place, which pissed me off.

“We had to decide what to do with him. Easy, I thought: put a bullet in his head. That moment, though… it was so strange. My head was telling me that he deserved to die, but there was this feeling in me, deep down, that killing him wasn’t right. That’s when Shepard talked me down, saying that if I wanted to move on, I had to let him go. And he was right. I was free from Cerberus, but I was not living life for myself, only to get revenge on Cerberus. I had it all wrong. It’s like I was still their prisoner.”

“They say that the best revenge is to live well,” said Kaidan.

“Shepard told me that once,” said Jack. “But that’s when I got it.” An air of silence filled the room. “But don’t take that to me I wasn’t thinking about it while ripping Cerberus troopers a new one in that war we fought a year ago, or that I wasn’t enjoying it.”

Kaidan chuckled. “There’s no shame in that. So long as you remember the important part, that you’re stopping them from hurting more people.”

“‘Guess so,” Jack ceded. The two of them were silent again before Jack spoke up once more, “… Y’know, I am not usually impressed by other biotics since I’m always better, but your ‘fields spike pretty damn high. Higher than the asari, or anyone else I’ve seen.”

With a coy smile, Kaidan tapped the side of his head. “L2.”

Jack’s eyes popped. “What??” she responded, stunned. Kaidan nodded. “I’ve heard stories of L2 biotics. They’re nuts. How are you still sane?”

Kaidan shrugged. “Got lucky?” he replied nonchalantly. “Used to get some nasty migraines, but now those are gone, thanks to whatever magic the Crucible brought about.”

“You too?” Jack responded. Kaidan looked back at her quizzically. “… My implant was causing neural degeneration. But last I visited the doctor, she said the de-gen didn’t progress half as much as she expected, and figured whatever happened fixed it. Good to know I won’t be a drooling idiot by 60.”

“Wow,” Kaidan replied. “Sounds like you really dodged a bullet there.”

“Honestly, it never bothered me much. Wasn’t expecting I’d live to be old enough to feel the effects, anyway. With Shepard, though, it was something I started thinking about, and worried about what it would do to our relationship. Turns out it wouldn’t matter, he broke my heart instead. Still wonder, though, if he’d stay committed if he knew, having to take care of a senile superbiotic…”

“He’d stay,” Kaidan answered certainly. “Long as I’ve known him, I’d never seen anything like the look on his face when he spoke about you, the way his eyes lit up and how glowingly he talked. He loved you, Jack. I have no doubt in my mind he’d have taken care of you if your mental condition required that.”

“Yeah,” said Jack, as her eyes welled up. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Ah,” Kaidan replied, embarrassed. “Shit. I did it again. I didn’t mean-”

“No,” said Jack, forcing her tears back and tapping the space around her eyes. “It’s fine. It usually hurts to think of what we had, but right now, it feels strangely comforting to hear that. It helps when I can talk about it to someone. But, maybe we can do this another time?”

“Of course, Jack,” he said supportively, “it’s fine.”

“Thanks,” said Jack with a broken smile.

Kaidan then realized that he was wrong to avoid talking to Jack about Shepard all this time. He realized that sometimes, people need another person to talk to about the hardships they were going through, like mourning the loss of a loved one. With a nod, Kaidan exited Jack’s quarters from the staircase.

* * *

  
A couple hours after Major Alenko visited her, Jack took the elevator down to the bottom floor and strolled into the shuttle bay for her arms locker. Nearby, Commander Vega was exercising intensely at his pull-up bar.

“Hey Lola,” James grunted between breaths. “You come down to watch The Show?”

“Nah,” Jack responded nonchalantly. “I’m not really into clowns or circus performers.”

James guffawed. “Ouch!” Releasing himself from the pull-up bar, James followed her. “What’chu down here for?”

“Want an upgrade at shotgun,” she answered, sifting through weapons in the arms locker. “Need more damage.”

James thought it over for a moment. “Well the Claymore hits the hardest,” he said, “but it’s one shot per clip – big adjustment from your eight-shot Piranha.”

“What about this?” she asked while picking up a bulky gun with camouflage exterior.

“AT-12 Raider,” said James. “Batarian make. Only two shots per clip and its range is almost nil, but that bad boy hits hard and fast.”

“That’s what I’m looking for,” Jack responded decisively, then removing the Piranha from her locker and replacing it with the Raider. “I’ve got the sleight of hand and my upgrade helps put me in flanking range.” Impressed, James grinned a little.

“You’re a real phenom out there, Lola,” said James. “Fast, shadowy, guns blazing. Add in the insane biotic power…”

Jack smirked. “Are you hitting on me??”

“What?” James responded, embarrassed. “No! No, it’s not like that. Just…” Jack’s smile grew a bit wider, who had then situated herself behind him and massaged his shoulders as his face grew red.

“So big and strong,” Jack teased. “It’s so cute when you get flustered.”

James laughed sheepishly. “Heh, and it’s cute how you toy with me like that. You’re something else, Lola.”

Jack squeezed around James’ traps and then let go. “What’s with the ‘Lola’ shtick, anyway?”

“Oh, that?” said James, turning around to face her. “Nicknaming people. It’s my thing. Some folks just don’t really fit their real names, so I name them what they look like to me.”

“Huh,” Jack responded. “And I’m a Lola to you?”

“Lola,” said James, leaning against the armory’s weapons-bench while he reminisced. “I knew a Lola once. Tough. Little crazy…. Kinda hot.” Jack looked up at him, amused and surprised both. “Uh, yeah. So that’s just what the name means to me. I dunno. It just fits, I think.” Jack, grinning, just looked down at the floor and said nothing. “How did you get the name ‘Jack,’ anyway?” James asked. “Uh, if you don’t mind me asking.”

Jack’s smile faded as the subject turned more serious, but retained her typical state of casual apathy. “It’s what some of the experimenters in my cell called me. ‘Jack,’ ‘Zero,’ or ‘Subject Zero.’ I decided I liked ‘Jack’ the best.”

“Damn.” Shocked, James asked her, “Why wouldn’t you adopt another name for yourself?”

“Like what?” Jack responded flatly.

“Like, …” James responded. “… eh, I don’t know, but still.”

“I know what you mean,” said Jack, examining one of the old scars under her right arm left behind by the late Teltin facility. “But that past is a part of me. It made me what I am. The biotics, the rage, the strength to rise against it … all of that is part of me, and always will be. So I kept the name ‘Jack,’ reclaimed it, made it my own. ‘Jack’ is not the victim Cerberus was hoping for. It’s not whatever they were planning to make me. It’s mine. A reckoning. A nightmare, that haunts her enemies in their sleep, and makes ‘em pay for fucking with me…”

James, listening on wide-eyed, snapped back into reality. “Damn. I – I had no idea. Sorry.” Jack had worked herself up a bit – blood pumping, heart racing – but settled down as the room fell silent. James moved towards her and put a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re an amazing woman, Jack,” said James tenderly. “Really.”

Jack managed a smile and shifted awkwardly. “Thanks,” she said softly. “I- … I better go.” Jack, who’d inched towards the door, turned away and showed herself out of the hangar bay. James looked on as she left, with the sudden urge to call out to her and have Jack face him one more time, but he was at a loss for words – a rare thing.

* * *

  
“Major,” said specialist Traynor at her post next to Kaidan, “The Council is available on vid-comm.”

“Patch them through,” he said while making way for the war-room. He hustled through the security-screening doors and the conference room all the way to the QEC at the back of the floor. With the push of a button, 3D hologram images of the councilors – salarian, turian, and human – appeared in the projection space facing him.

“Major Alenko,” said salarian councilor Esheel, “what’s the situation on the batarian homeworld?”

“Looks like this civil war is nearing its end,” Kaidan explained. “Resistance forces are exhausted and the League has seriously armed up, likely to move on and take back what they’ve lost after winning here.”

“How have the batarians responded to your presence?” asked human councilor Osoba.

“Both sides have proven hostile, councilor,” Kaidan stated. “While it’s true that the resistance is backed by some Hegemony loyalists, their numbers are few, while most of the rebels are merely discontented citizens. I am hesitant to call either side an enemy or an ally.”

“What are you suggesting?” asked turian councilor Sparatus.

Major Alenko sighed. “Just saying, maybe this conflict is a little more complicated than we previously thought, not just some conspiracy by the late Hegemony to return to power.”

“And how will preventing the League from restoring order help matters?” Sparatus retorted. “New regimes always deal with violent resistance. You’ll just have the same problem again later.”

“I suppose it does not matter,” said councilor Esheel, “if what you say about the League turning the tide is true, then we should be courting their leadership, maybe even help them in this fight.”

“And if this government becomes corrupt?,” Kaidan countered. “Getting their government on our side doesn’t mean their species will thank us.”

“For which reason I would prefer we not get involved at all,” said councilor Osoba. “Let the batarian people sort this out themselves, and we can gain influence later through goodwill funding.” _Bribery_ , Kaidan thought. “No further investigation is required, Major. You’ve done what we’ve asked.”

“Alright,” said Kaidan. “But, if it’s all the same to you, I think I want to stick around here and keep an ear to the ground on any further developments.”

“If you think you must,” said councilor Sparatus, “but do not make our presence in this matter known.”

“Understood,” Major Alenko responded. “Logging you out…” With a push of a button, the councilors’ images disappeared. Kaidan sighed and rubbed his temples. A feeling of uncertainty now filled him.


	9. Dialogue

With a push of a button, the councilors’ images disappeared. Kaidan sighed and rubbed his temples. A feeling of uncertainty now filled him. EDI had notified him that the Normandy was still a week away from being operable enough for Joker to fly them home. The Council had no further orders for him, and seemed to lean towards letting the rest of the conflict play out. The Normandy was sitting just outside what his team had determined was the active war-zone, and could comfortably sit out for the remainder of the conflict, but that didn’t feel right to Kaidan, and even bothered him.

It was common practice for the captain of a space vessel to keep personal logs, tracking the progress of their mission and noting their thoughts on the situation at hand. Among other reasons for keeping such a journal, it left behind a record of the events that took place there in the event that the mission went sideways and key personnel killed- or missing-in-action, and could potentially help another team on the same sort of mission. Kaidan remembered encountering many such journals on missions with Shepard, and later discovering that Shepard kept one privately as well. At this time, Kaidan had a lot on his chest, and putting all his thoughts down on ‘pad sounded liberating. This was not the place, he reasoned, opting to head to his quarters on level-one.

Once in the privacy of his cabin again, Kaidan pulled over a chair, sat back and picked up a blank datapad off of his desk. Kaidan established a nexus-point Harmonically and connected his mind to the device. Once connected, Kaidan selectively transferred thoughts from his stream-of-consciousness onto the electronic pad and watched as words periodically filled the screen.

> **SSV Normandy: Captain’s Log**
> 
> _On behalf of the Galactic Council, I was sent to investigate the situation here on the batarian homeworld Khar’Shan. While the war helped unite the species of the galaxy together, the batarians (reclusive as ever) chose to remain politically isolated despite the council’s offers to aid their planet’s relief and recovery process. The batarian race barely survived the Reaper invasion, with their numbers reduced to some 21 million, an outcome almost as bloody as the Morning War 300 years ago._
> 
> _It’s a Spectre’s job to uphold the safety and well-being of the galactic community at large, but the council does not seem interested in helping the batarians out of their current political crisis. A civil war rages on and appears to be nearing its end with imminent victory for the Batarian People’s League. None of the councilors even care whether or not the new government’s agenda is aligned favorably with galactic interests, or even the interests of their own people. I don’t understand how they can be so apathetic about it – perhaps they feel like they have bigger concerns? But if we let the wrong people into power here, it WILL bite us in the ass down the line. Best case, the batarians resent us for enabling corrupted rulers and remain passive hostiles. Worst case, we see the return of government-funded terrorist operations against any groups they declare “enemies of the state.”_
> 
> _This is my first formal operation as a Spectre, and I don’t want to leave this place and later feel like I didn’t do my best. Like, even if things don’t work out, I want to at least be able to say that I tried to do something about it. I don’t feel like I can really say that._
> 
> _What we need right now is an ally, or a neutral mediator, to help us build bridges to the batarian world if we are to have any hope of being on good terms with their race. I was advised to assume hostility with both sides of this conflict because the batarians do not trust outsiders and do not want their help, but I am beginning to wonder which came first: do we neglect to help them because they don’t trust us, or do they not trust us because we neglect to help them?_
> 
> **\- Major Kaidan Alenko.**

On that note, Kaidan severed his connection to the datapad and tossed it aside on his desk with a flick of the wrist. He then leaned forward and buried his face in both palms, deep in thought, wondering how to establish dialogue with either side of this mess. The League was most likely off-limits. The rebels, however, were vulnerable. Kaidan’s intelligence on their side’s patrol routines and schedule gave them enough information to know where the rebels’ commander and apparent defacto party chair was going to be on any given day, and when. Major Alenko knew that if he wanted a meeting with the resistance army leader face-to-face, he could have it, and Kaidan was out of ideas for the squad’s next step.

Kaidan looked up at a speaker in the ceiling. “EDI…”

“Yes, Major Alenko?”

“How exactly did we negotiate for a cease-fire with the Reapers?” asked Kaidan.

“The Reapers seized hostilities themselves when they lost connection with their master-control intelligence on the Citadel,” EDI explained. “With newfound autonomy, the Reapers retreated to protect themselves from further violence. During the war, comm-channels with the Reapers were established by strategists tasked with tracking the enemy’s movements. Two and a half hours after the Crucible fired, these channels were investigated and inadvertently led to some dialogue between us and the Reaper collective. Safe distance and the availability of electronic media enabled both sides to communicate without fear of harm, or indoctrination.

“After a few months of positive dialogue, a proposal from the Reapers was brought forward to the council whereby they would resign to acting as civil and cooperative entities within the galactic society. Alternatively, they offered to isolate themselves from the community altogether – either way, they did not seek further conflict. Ultimately, the council agreed to integrate them into the community in a two-to-one ruling. The acting salarian councilor agreed on behalf of Salarian Union proponents, and the turian councilor agreed on the condition that they help rebuild Palaven alongside the krogan. Only human councilor Osoba opted for the Reapers’ removal instead, due to widespread negative opinion among humans, although I urged the Alliance to pressure him towards agreeing. I judged that the Reapers’ knowledge and immense processing-power would be valuable to our study and research projects. Preliminary results suggest I was right.”

“Hmm,” Kaidan groaned. “Well, there’s no way to contact the resistance other than heading to them directly, risking an incident. Any chance you can patch us through to the League, though? Something that would not be traced back to this location.”

“Yes,” said EDI. “With the radios and security-codes we have picked up from League hostiles, direct contact with the party chairman, Har’l Makyrs, is possible. We can convert the signal into an entanglement-object that cannot be traced back to this position.”

“In a moment,” said Kaidan. “Have Liara forward me a dossier with whatever information she has on Makyrs. Spectre and Alliance resources did not give me much.”

“Please wait,” said EDI. About twelve seconds later, she said, “Liara’s dossier has been forwarded to your terminal.” Major Alenko opened the file…

> **Name: Harl Makyrs**
> 
> Born among the lower castes of batarian society. Lost his father, a miner, in an accident at work when he was 13. Served in his people’s navy for eight years. Survived the fall of Khar’Shan at the onset of the Reaper invasion, was part of the batarian fleet later recruited by the Alliance in The Battle for Earth. Upon return to homeworld, Makyrs led the charge against Hegemony officials who attempted to reclaim their seats in office, leading what would soon be called the Batarian People’s Army. After successfully defeating Hegemony loyalists and capturing or killing all ex-Hegemony officials vying for power, Makyrs and several close confidants founded the Batarian People’s League, a new and reform-minded government, most notably promising to do away with caste restrictions and encouraging a more open economic market.
> 
> Makyrs initially followed up on these promises but suddenly became reclusive and abandoned policies enacted to give relief to devastated areas of the planet, prompting protests and later uprisings. Makyrs has responded with violence. It is unclear why Makyrs and his new government neglected the needs of the people as of late. Rumors of corrupted officials stealing from the treasury for personal expenditures surround the new regime (recent transactions by families of League officials offers legitimacy). Given recent events, espionage on the BPL has been near impossible. The increasingly paranoid leadership has set up a new headquarters. All former Shadow Broker agents on Khar’Shan were killed in the Reaper invasion, and outsiders (even batarian) are not tolerated by either warring party.
> 
> Movements by the new government as of 3/5 remain unknown.

Major Alenko knew of Makyrs’s service in the recent war through the Alliance, and the Spectre archives noted his rise to political power followed by a sudden disappearance with government resources. What struck him was his background, rising above poor socio-economic status to helping his people eradicate the caste system and becoming the founding-father of a new government. That had all the makings of a hero’s tale. What could have turned him against that, Kaidan wondered. Did the power get to his head? Did he forget where he came from? Both were pretty common stories of disgraced leaders.

EDI had the line ready for him to contact the man himself, and Major Alenko had questions for him, but he wasn’t exactly in the habit chatting up a galactic leader. It was times like these when the responsibilities of being a Spectre really sank in. Kaidan had one advantage, though: he had watched and seen another Spectre first-hand dealing with the very same responsibilities in his former captain. Shepard had no fear of it, thought Kaidan, so why should he?

“EDI,” said Kaidan with authority. “Get the People’s League chairman on the line for me.”

“Very well,” she responded, putting the comm-channel over his intercom so he could speak and listen from within his cabin. Soft static noise permeated the air as the call connected to the Batarian People’s League headquarters, and cleared up once the call was answered. A two-way translator removed any language barrier between them, and EDI distorted Major Alenko’s voice.

“State your purpose,” a voice replied in the typical batarian accent, with an aloofness and monotony in it as well.

“Yes, uh, I am looking for Harl Makyrs,” Kaidan responded.

“What does that name mean to you?” responded the answerer, no more attentive than before.

“I am an investigator with… an independent galactic organization,” Kaidan explained, remembering not to reveal council involvement. “We’ve heard reports of sapient rights violations taking place here and would like an official response. If your chairman cannot allay our concerns, we will take action against this oppression.”

There was an uncomfortable pause at the end of the line.

“… You are too late,” responded the still-unfeeling, monotone voice. “We will take back what we had and rise again. Our people will reclaim our lost glory. You and the rebellious will serve our coming empire…”

“Empire?” Kaidan replied incredulously. “Really? Is that what you’re planning?” Soft static filled the air again. Whoever that was had hung up – a spokesman, or Makyrs himself?

In any case, the madness in the answerers voice was eyebrow-raising. It was not the first time Kaidan had heard such insanity, not even the first time he heard a batarian prophesying the rise of his people. He’d heard eerily similar words from Balak, the batarian terrorist Shepard had apprehended and killed over Terra Nova. Were these the same delusions? The galaxy had just banded together to stop the Reapers, and the batarian military is among the weakest of them all. It was crazy to even entertain such thoughts, so, maybe it was a just red herring that they believed would work on some stupid off-world alien. It had better be, he thought.

It was unlikely that the League was going to be any more helpful than that. Kaidan wondered now if the other side could be reasoned with. Though he understood the batarians’ distrust towards other species, Kaidan was quickly getting tired of it. Couldn’t any of them just shut their mouths and try to listen for just one damned minute? But at this point, Major Alenko was out of ideas for the team’s next step.

“EDI,” said Kaidan. “Tell the squad to get their equipment and report to the shuttles outside. We’re headed out.”

“Major,” EDI replied, “you stated that the resistance lacks safe communication channels. How do you intend to negotiate with them?”

“The old-fashioned way.”  
  


* * *

  
K’Tova was a big body, a head taller than the next batarian and thick as an oak tree. It was he who the rebel fighters followed when they marched, and he who immediately attracted the attention of all whom they encountered. It was clear from the scars around his body – his face, both arms – that he had seen battle. He was fearsome and intimidating in every way, except for the look in his eyes: weary. It was the look of a defeated man, and his followers looked no less tired.

Through the scope of his Black Widow, James spotted this giant. “Spotted him,” he muttered.

“Alright,” Major Alenko whispered. “Take your positions.”

As Kaidan’s team dispersed through the grassy plain, K’Tova heard something scurrying about them and halted. Looking around, K’Tova reached for the shotgun on his back, but was interrupted.

“-Stop right there,” said a voice alien to what K’Tova was used to.

K’Tova squinted while his hands were frozen in place.

“Don’t reach any further,” said the voice again. “There are snipers trained on you.”

K’Tova did not reach, but shot back verbally. “You think we fear death?” he retorted. “It is all but certain that we’ll perish here. We would just prefer to die fighting our oppressors. Your speech is obviously not batarian. I don’t know what you’re doing here, but our war is not your business, aliens!”

“It is council business,” replied the voice, “and I am a Spectre.”

“You’ve killed our people already,” K’Tova charged. “A group of seven, murdered after they discovered your team.”

“What?” Kaidan responded incredulously. Then he realized whom the batarian giant was referring to. “You mean those villagers? No, we encountered two unarmed batarian civilians first, but I let them go. If they told you to come after us, I’m sorry, but that’s not our fault.”

“Do not insult us with your lies, alien!” K’Tova responded angrily. “We have reason enough to kill you already. At my command, these men and I will find you.”

“They may follow you here, but you’re just a decoy,” Major Alenko responded cockily. “Our intel says that the real leader of your squad is one of the riflemen at the rear. Drop your weapons, and have him step forward.”

“NO!” shouted K’Tova.

“Our cover has been compromised,” said a voice from behind him. “We must parlay, brother, whether we like it or not.”

Perplexed, K’Tova looked behind him, but deferred to one of his rear guards, seemingly the true leader of the squad. The leader could not have been more different from his decoy, the shortest member of the group and built with a slight frame. Crossing his arms, he stood aside from the pack.

“Guns down,” Kaidan insisted.

“I will holster them,” responded the squad leader, “but my men will not. And you must show yourself unarmed first – however many of you there are – if you wish to continue.”

“… Fair enough,” responded Major Alenko. “I will also put my weapon away, but my squad will be with me, and armed.” Kaidan then emerged out of the grass in a very tense confrontation with the resistance squad. His weapons were holstered, but he had a quick draw with the Paladin at his hip, and no one was checking for tech or biotics. At his side, the rest of his squad emerged as well.

The leader’s eyes widened. “You… you are of the Normandy!” he exclaimed. “I recognize your faces!”

“Then you know what we’re capable of,” Kaidan pointed out.

“What do you want from us?”

“Answers,” said Kaidan. “The Batarian Hegemony was recognized by the council as a rogue state, and you are fighting the very government that unseated them from power. What are you planning?”

“Hegemony?” the batarian leader scoffed. “You aliens all think alike! We are not conspiring for their return.”

“Your government will keep order if they succeed,” said Kaidan. “If they fail, this planet will likely descend into chaos and more civil war. There’s no telling who will come out on top after all that is said-and-done.

“Open your eyes, aliens,” responded the rebel leader haughtily. “What the League is doing here is the same as what the Hegemony did before them. In supporting them, you are supporting another corrupt regime, and they will be no friend to you.”

Kaidan paused, and then responded, “And what will your side do to make things better?”

“What concern is it of yours?” asked the rebel chief.

“If we tell you that,” said Kaidan, “then you have to cooperate with us, or we will have to kill you.”

“Then kill us,” said the rebel chief. “We have no reason to trust or submit to your Alliance. Men-”

“-Wait!” Kaidan interrupted. “This is not an Alliance mission, not really. It’s an investigation by the council. I was not supposed to make their intent known, but you need to realize whose attention you have right now.”

“Hardly a difference,” said the batarian dismissively. “They turned their back on our people time and again. Whatever they want from us, they won’t be getting it.”

“Listen,” said Kaidan earnestly, “the council wanted a read on the situation, and they got it. We have no further orders here, but now, I am trying to determine whether or not the council should allow the League to reclaim power as we fully expect them to. Give us a reason to support your cause, though, and we can help you take down your enemy.”

The batarian froze in place, appearing to mull over the proposition, though some of his fellows voiced protest. Finally, the batarian chief answered, “We will rid Khar’Shan of these current officials. That alone is an improvement.”

“Not good enough,” Kaidan responded.

The leader fell silent for a moment, then looked up and said, “Help us set defeat our enemy, human, and we will work with your council to set up a new government.”

At the moment, both Kaidan’s squad and the batarian’s men broke into chatter. From what Kaidan could hear of the other side: “What!” “Have you gone mad?” “You are inviting the aliens to take over our affairs. We did not fight for this!” On his side: “Don’t do it, Major.” “They’ve turned on us once already when we tried to help; they’ll do it again.” “If you want their government’s support, you can get it more easily by supporting the League. Don’t bother.”

Kaidan raised his hand up and silenced the crowd.

“I need to think on that,” said Major Alenko. “But if there’s some way we can solve this problem together, though, I would like to find it.”

“Come to our settlement and see for yourself how this ‘People’s League’ takes care of its own,” said the leader. “They will not treat your kind any better. You probably do not know the whole story behind our civil war, but I will tell you everything.”

“You go too far!” cried one of the batarian’s men. “We will not allow these aliens near our stronghold!”

“Stronghold?” scoffed the batarian leader. “Is that what we’re calling it?”

“You fool. You are compromising our sovereignty to the aliens and a council that betrayed us time and again! No more. We will not stand for this.”

“We are already dead,” said the batarian leader, “the League is well on their way of recovering what they’ve lost, but if there is any chance of accepting the aliens’ help and still getting some of what we want … well, anyone but the enemy.”

“We already know the location of your settlement,” Kaidan pointed out, “and, judging by our intel, we have firepower enough from our shuttles alone to raze it down if we wanted to. I, however, was hoping to find an ally.”

“No. We’ll sooner die than ally with the likes of you,” declared the dissident batarian. “To me, brothers!”

In that instant, a fight broke out among the batarians. Kaidan turned and looked at Liara, prompting her to erect a barrier around the squad to shield them from any oncoming fire, clearly premeditated between them. Kaidan then drew his Paladin and lent a couple bullets to help break up the fight, incapacitating two of three mutineers with gunshot wounds. K’Tova knocked the other one out unconscious in a single blow. The batarian chief executed them rather than attempting to order them back in line.

“Blithering idiots” muttered the batarian leader. “We are better off without them. Aliens, we are headed back to our settlement. It is not far from here on foot. If you wish to help us defeat our enemy, follow us. I will show you what we have and tell you what you need to know.”

“Hold on,” Kaidan replied. “After that display, we can’t count on your countrymen not turning on us when we set foot in your camp. Let us arrive in shuttles.

“Very well,” said the leader. “We’re expecting you there, though.”

“We’ll show,” Kaidan assured him. Together, Major Alenko and his squad turned back and headed for the ship, where the shuttles were parked just outside.  
  


* * *

  
Along the way back to the shuttles, and during the drive back, Kaidan heard the murmuring of his squad expressing their doubts directly to him. Some asked, “We’re not really thinking about helping them out, are we?” Others suggested, “They could try something after we get there. Taking the shuttle with us was a good call, but keep your guard up.” Finally, they arrived in the territory marked on their maps as the resistance army’s settlement.

Major Alenko set the vehicle down on the ground and opened the doors on both sides, revealing the downtrodden village where the rebels had set up camp. Together, the squad exited the ‘craft in shock at the living conditions they witnessed, standing outside the camp entrance.

“Goddess!” exclaimed Liara. Major Alenko probed his omnitool Harmonically while taking in the surroundings, capturing it all on video as he looked on.

“Old structures,” Miranda stated, observing the infrastructure, “built from simple materials like clay, mud and straw. Unlikely this island was ever of any importance to the batarian people after spaceflight, and probably not even before.” Little vegetation grew here, just patches of grass and some lanky/gangly trees. A few locals were slumming down on the ground’s mostly-dirt surface, staring at them suspiciously and scowling, but had no apparent look of surprise. Clearly, the batarians were expecting them. One of them got up and walked inside the settlement.

Kaidan hesitantly walked up to a couple of the villagers and asked, “Hey, is the leader around here? I need to speak with him.” The batarians exchanged looks and remarked offensively about the alien’s speech, upon which Kaidan realized that these individuals may not have been equipped with any kind of translator. Kaidan awkwardly backed away, but a few moment later, the resistance leader walked out of the settlement with a small troupe to greet him.

“I see you’ve arrived, human,” he said with unmistakable caution about him. “I know of the Normandy squad. Many of us here have heard of your exploits. Your strength as soldiers is unmatched by any other small team in the galaxy.”

“In allowing you to intervene, we take a great risk. We may not get what we want when your council gets involved. However, we will certainly perish if you opt to oppose us, and the current regime will continue to rule. Our best chance is to work with you and hope for the best, I believe, but mark my words: if you aliens choose to condemn our species to a fate of further oppression and corruption, my men will be the first of many batarians to come who will return the favor with ammunition - starting with you.”

Major Alenko raised a hand up, trying to maintain civility. “I understand your mistrust. Believe me, it’s no easier for me or my colleagues, but I also think that our best chance comes from working together. What can you tell me about your movement? About your new government.”

The young batarian chief looked back at the settlement from which he emerged and motioned his head at the entrance. “Follow me,” he said.

“We probably shouldn’t leave the shuttle out here to be tampered with,” James pointed out. “And, it could be a nice lifeline for us if we’re really going to walk into these batarians’ lair, if you catch my meaning.”

“I got it,” said Kaidan, who sent a remote signal to the shuttle that activated the vehicle’s thrusters, lifting it off the ground before it sped off on auto-pilot, set to circle the rebels’ settlement. At any moment, Major Alenko could call it back and arrive at the squad’s location. It was unclear if the eight of them could fight their way through the whole village, should the need arise, but the shuttle would safely evacuate them all in such a scenario. With that, Major Alenko and the squad walked into the rebel camp. What few batarians were not looking at them with scowls looked dazed and defeated. All of them were males, and many were armed with very basic firearms while sitting or standing idly by. Some wore armor, typically in medium-to-poor condition, while others had only dirty and tattered clothing.

“Looks more like an improvised militia than a proper fighting force,” Major Alenko remarked.

“If this is what the ‘League is fighting, no wonder they’re winning,” James remarked.

“Why are we helping them?” Javik queried dismissively. “They are unfit to take power in this state.” Kaidan ignored his question and walked along. Together, Kaidan, the squad, and their batarian hosts settled in a small hut under guard of four rebel soldiers. As they entered, the chief sat down on a straw chair, the only piece of furniture in the room.

“Sit,” he said to his guests, his hand motioning at a dusty rug on the dirt floor. Together, the squad sat with their knees crossed, save for Miranda, who chose to stay standing at the sight of the rug and stepped aside.

“I don’t like this,” commented the volus, Ninju. “Too close for comfort if a fight breaks out.”

“Maybe we should have stuck you on top of the shuttle with your rifle,” said Jack sarcastically, “no way anyone would think of trying anything against that!”

Ignoring the chatter, Major Alenko addressed the batarian chief. “I am glad we’re establishing some dialogue here,” said Kaidan. “Really. So, let’s start at the beginning. What happened here after the Reapers?”

“… Almost all of us you see here supported Batarian People’s League in their bid to remove returning Hegemony officials from power,” the chief began. “We believed in change, and hope for a better future as we were promised. Seven to eight months of their rule showed promise. In the eighth month, however, the League curiously declared that the government would move their seats of power to this island of no significance. In doing so, they seized many resources they had promised to the people and took it all with them, with no response to any questions asked. In a peaceful demonstration where our people called on the government to provide us with answers, the League responded violently. At that point, it was clear that something was very wrong.”

“What did you do?” asked a wide-eyed Kaidan.

“Our people rose up again,” replied the young chief, “and much of the military defected to join our side. Together, we ousted them from power through the main continent of our planet, but their leadership was still alive, hiding out here. So many of us traveled to the island to finish them off, once and for all. We were confident we could win, just as we defeated them easily back at our homes, but we were wrong. We have thrown many of our soldiers at them to try to take the island, which has weakened us significantly. Worse yet, we fear this may have been the League’s plan all along -- to lure us into a battlezone where we could not win and exhaust our resources, while they regroup and get stronger.”

“So how did the League gain the upper-hand?” James queried.

“The League has clearly been focused on amassing more and more strength. We’ve discovered that they’ve tapped mercenaries -- mainly Blue Suns and Blood Pack batarians -- to sign on with them. We lack the funds to do any similar thing. Also, we’ve seen many of our captured brethren return completely brainwashed and fighting against us. We suspect the League has developed some sort of implants similar to those your Cerberus group used to create obedient super-soldiers. To top it all off, the League has far more and vastly superior resources to our own. No manufacturers of military-grade supplies will sell to us since the League cunningly made a backdoor deal with them to match any price we would be willing to play plus an extra 2-20%. Not to mention all the assets they stole from the treasury before they arrived here.”

“I see,” said Kaidan.

“We have lost too many men trying to take this island. The resistance is a political movement of the batarian people for our liberation. It is not a nation in its own right with a large army and vast resources that can stand against a formal government and organized military. The League, like the Hegemony before them, does not care how many citizens oppose them. It will rule on undeterred with an iron fist once they eliminate what’s left of the resistance. Ours is the last unit of soldiers that the resistance will commit to taking Jaxier. If we fail, there will be no more. Then the League will surely advance back into the mainlands, and I fear what’s left of our small army will fall swiftly.”

“But you,” added the rebel leader, “your squad gives us a very real chance to turn the tide.”

“Our squad is elite,” Major Alenko replied, “but we’re just eight men. You’ll need a lot more help than us if you’re planning to put down an entire army.”

“You’re not speaking to a novice. I understand exactly what it will take.” The leader paused and bowed his head a few moments. “At the moment, we are not equipped to face the League again, but you can help give us what we need to change that.”

“What do you have in mind?” asked Kaidan.

“The League has set up some type of facility that we believe is manufacturing new weapons while also testing and developing new tech-combat prototypes we have never seen before. If you can break in and raid the facility, you can not only get us the necessary supplies we need to fight the enemy, but also uncover intel on whatever it is they are developing for their soldiers. This would be a major victory.”

“Also,” the batarian continued, “we brought over a large supply of combat and defense equipment and have recovered many that were left behind here by our side before us. However, they are all useless at the moment without an electrical current. The League cut off all utilities on this island outside their own facilities. If you can restore the power and running water to this settlement, it would allow us to employ mechs, turrets, drones, remotely-controlled explosives, and many other improvised weapons, even all of them together as part of an automated security system right here or any [designated] location. This will give us significant firepower and allow us to negate their home-territory advantage. And the water might help get rid of that smell…”

“Okay,” said Kaidan. “And happens once you’ve got what you need?”

“We move to the next and final phase of our plan,” explained the chief. “Victory lies in toppling the League’s leadership, not in any battle with their army. Once you have secured supplies and utilities for our army, we will mobilize and make a stand against them, but the outcome of this battle will matter not. It will simply serve to draw their forces away from the League’s stronghold. With their army drawn away, a strike-team will be sent to infiltrate their headquarters and apprehend their chief officers.”

Major Alenko raised an eyebrow. “Strike-team?” he responded. “Somehow I get the feeling that you’ll be volunteering us for that job.”

“Your team would be ideal for that task,” admitted the batarian chief, “though we will send in our own if we must. But you must believe us that this is what must be done. The League will be no more a friend to you than it has been to its own people. If you can do for us what you do best, we will keep our end of the bargain. This plan will work.”

“It’s a longshot,” Miranda declared. “We would require two separate diversions just to give the resistance any chance against the League army, and then fight them on their own turf.”

“It is pointless to defend the weak,” said Javik. “You will see another government like this after we are finished. The strong eventually always rise to the top.”

“Miranda, you took on the Collectors in uncharted space,” Kaidan pointed out. “And Javik, we were the weaker side when we fought the Reapers, yet you believed that we had to fight them to the last man.”

“Tell me then, human,” said the batarian chief, “will you help us defeat our enemy? If so, we will work with you and your council to set up our new government.”

“All I know is I’d like to find a solution that will help your people,” Kaidan replied.

“Hmm…” the batarian responded.

“… But I’m going to need my team behind me if we’re going to have any shot at this,” Kaidan added. “I sense that we’ll need to talk this over together before I can make a commitment.”

“You have knowledge of our plans now,” the batarian chief pointed out. “We cannot risk this information leaking to our enemies. Leave if you must, but if you are gone too long, we can only expect the worst. Decide quickly or we will not take any chances with you.”

“I understand,” said Kaidan, bringing his omnitool online. “Here, patch your omnitools to 96.104. We can communicate with you over radio and give you the word.”

“We have but few working omnitools,” said the batarian, activating his own and punching in the code, “but if it helps us prove cooperative, we’ll do what we can.”

Kaidan got up and nodded in approval, then turning to his squad and leading them out the chief’s hut.  
  


* * *

  
“I see what you’re trying to do, Major,” said Miranda, standing at the side of the conference room table, where she, James, and Kaidan were gathered privately, “but the batarians have not been cooperative in galactic affairs nor historically very amicable with humanity.”

“At one time the galaxy would have said the same about humans with other species,” Kaidan argued, “and that was used to justify the council and other species giving us the short end of the stick time and again.”

“Yes,” said Miranda, “but we gave them reason to change that.”

“You realize that the batarians lent what little they had to the fight over Earth against the Reapers?” asked Kaidan. “That has to count for something.”

“Hmph,” she responded dismissively. “They probably did not even expect their homeworld to support life again by the time they committed. Unlike every other species that joined us, they had practically nothing to lose.”

“Still,” said James, “the Major has a point. I’m surprised they weren’t rooting for the Reapers to wipe Earth clean. Downright shocked they bothered to help save it.”

“I’ve said my piece,” Miranda resigned. “Whatever you decide, I’m with you, but I maintain that the batarians are not an asset that demands further attention. Let their little war play out, decide later if we want to recognize their government once we have a clearer picture.”

Major Alenko turned to Commander Vega. “What are your thoughts on this, LC?”

“Not sure I’m ready to support the rebels,” James replied, “but if the kid is right about this manufacturing plant having any intel on the League, it might be a lead worth chasing.”

“I agree,” said Kaidan. “I am still looking for something on them to determine if the rumors of their corruption are  valid. If we find nothing, maybe we’ll leave this thing cold.”

“And if we do?” asked Miranda. “I am not sure corruption charges alone are enough reason to insert ourselves in this affair.”

“Well,” Kaidan responded, “... I guess that will depend on the severity of our findings.”

“Fair enough,” said Miranda.

“Just make it clear to our guys that we’re not throwing our lot in with anyone yet,” James advised him, “or there could be problems.”

Kaidan raised an eyebrow. “Problems? What kind?”

“Differences in opinion,” he explained, “with some of the squad. From what I gathered, not all of them are on board with helping the rebels. It … might cause problems if you commit to their side, unless you can get results to show for it.”

“Anyone in particular you’re worried about?”

“Javik,” said James. “You’ve already seen him act out-of-line. Look weak in front of him and you’ll lose his support for sure, only question is if that means he leaves or tries to take command himself. And if you can’t rein him in, it’ll reflect badly on you to the rest of them. Just watch yourself is all I’m saying.”

“Noted,” said Kaidan, turning and nodding at both James and Miranda before they showed themselves out. Kaidan stayed behind for a few moments, thinking about what James had just said, as the thought had crossed his mind as well. Did he have his squad’s full support?

Some, mainly those whom he had some history working with, seemed to respect his lead well enough. Others did not seem convinced, as if still deciding whether or not they were on board with him or not. Privately, he felt a bit embarrassed about his recent decision to spare the batarian villagers their team encountered while setting up a collection system in the field. It would later turn out that those villagers tipped off the resistance camp to their squad’s position, resulting in a bloody encounter with a few of their men during the same mission. The large batarian bodyguard to the rebel chief brought that up, and Kaidan could not help but wonder if his folly made the rest of the squad question his lead.

As always, at times like these, Kaidan would pause and ask himself how Shepard did it. How did he keep it all together so well with so much riding on his performance? If only he were still around to answer that question for him, but nothing was that easy anymore.

 


	10. The Manufactory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per usual, I hastily edited this chapter and am mostly just publishing it now to push on ahead. Cheers!

He sent word. Altogether, the squad assembled in the hangar bay armory and gathered their equipment before Kaidan walked in a few minutes later. As he drew their attention, Major Alenko made an announcement.

“Squad,” he said with authority, “we’re meeting up with the resistance leader today and hitting the League’s manufacturing facility. For them, it’s a big score for much-needed supplies. For us, it’s an intel grab. Simply put, we don’t have a good read on the League, and the council needs to know about the current -- and likely future -- ruling party on the batarian homeworld. Hopefully this initiative will help.”

“We are siding with the rebels?” asked Javik.

“We are following a lead they brought to our attention,” Kaidan explained diplomatically.

“What are we expecting to find?” asked EDI.

“That’s anyone’s guess,” Kaidan answered. “The League relocated to this island specifically to keep their activities concealed. Even Liara’s network hasn’t been able to break through.”

“Yet,” Liara interjected.

“But there are rumors,” Major Alenko continued. “The rebel leader accused them of using indoctrination technology akin to those used by Cerberus during the war, and we’ve seen some combat elites employing high-tech equipment we have not seen before. Hitting this plant could give us some answers, or maybe clues.”

“- Or, maybe nothing,” the volus Ninju pointed out.

Kaidan shrugged. “Well,” he replied, “the disruption will likely strike a blow against the League, which will at least buy us some more time for our investigation. C’mon.” Major Alenko’s squad continued their preparations as Kaidan grabbed his own weapons and armor.

The shuttles were back inside the hangar bay, as the Normandy’s repairs now allowed the ship to lift off the ground again and open the entryway. Once ready, the squad broke into their assigned teams and boarded the shuttles. Joker readily lifted the Normandy off the ground, allowing the shuttles to depart.

* * *

  
At a designated meeting zone, the resistance chief waited with three armed guards, including the big one and personal decoy, K’Tova. Once the shuttles arrived, the chief directed two of his men to one of the shuttles, and then joined Major Alenko’s shuttle with K’Tova at his side. Major Alenko offered a handshake, which the chief reluctantly returned with marked suspicion on his face. Kaidan understood but did not dwell on it.

“Welcome aboard,” said Kaidan, in an effort to be accommodating. “You know what, I apologize, but I did not get your name at all.”

“Saheer,” the chief answered tersely.

“Saheer,” Kaidan repeated. “Nice. Major Alenko, council Spectre and Systems Alliance Cybermarines Division. But you can call me Kaidan.”

“I know,” said the chief. “We know of many on your team.”

“Right,” said Kaidan, rubbing the back of his neck. “We get around.”

“It is difficult to trust the council’s agents,” said the chief, “or Alliance, given our history with both of them. Some of my fellows feel that I doom our people to your influence forever by involving you at all, and it would be better to just let the League take back the planet. You saw the fight that broke out between us.”

“Yeah,” said Kaidan. “I understand those concerns, somewhat. Back when humanity became part of the galactic community, groups like Terra Firma were formed in fear of us being assimilated and losing our culture.”

“Were I not in charge,” the chief admitted, “I may have even been one of them. But, looking at it from this perspective … our fight looked hopeless, and then we encountered your squad. Just the thought that your squad’s help might be the only chance at victory? … I could not say turn it away. I understand their fears for what this decision might lead to, but I had to believe some chance is better than none. We are not in a position to be choosers.”

“I hear ya,” said Kaidan empathetically. “Being in command shows things in a whole new light.”

“I was not in charge when our company arrived here,” the chief explained. “The former commander was my uncle, but he was killed in action, and many losses later, command has fallen on me. I have some management skills, while just about the rest of these guys are simple grunts that need someone to lead them, so I reluctantly accepted this position. But at this point, I believe they have resigned themselves to fate, and are only following my lead with the expectation that they will all die here anyway.”

“What about reinforcements?” asked Major Alenko.

“Our army was decimated by attempts at trying to take this shit island,” Saheer reiterated. “We are holding back remaining forces in the event the League inevitably tries to reclaim what they lost. But many were lost, and we fear they have since grown stronger than our estimation. Nonetheless, we did try to get a couple more ships across, but something sank it, just as your ship was brought down from the sky.”

“Damn,” Kaidan remarked. “The League is really committed to keeping enemies out of their territory.”

“You see the lengths they have gone to ensure that none will oppose them,” Saheer pointed out, “from outside and from within. Whatever doubts you may have of us, I can assure you this current regime will be no ally of yours.”

“If your side is so much weaker than the League’s, why haven’t they taken the fight to your settlement and just wiped you all out already?”

“They’re trying,” Saheer answered, “to do exactly that. So we have been moving our settlement around, continuously, to avoid them until we are ready.”

“Really?” Kaidan responded. “We had you pegged since before we arrived. How is it that the League can’t track you down on their own turf when we could do it so easily?”

“We do not leave this region,” Saheer explained. “It is not easy to hide from the League’s death squads, but we know their patrol schedule and general tendencies, and found a few holes. We rotate our camp’s location between three ‘soft spots’ we identified. None of these three spots are very far from the others, which may be why you believed to know our location. The farther we try to move, the greater the risk of us being discovered.”

“Hm,” Kaidan muttered. “I guess our collection-device compensated with its range.”

“You are correct, however,” Saheer admitted. “We are only delaying the inevitable. We are just one misstep away from them cornering us and forcing us into one final battle which would likely spell the end of our efforts out here.”

Kaidan looked aside at Saheer’s companion. “That K’Tova is a real prize-bull of yours.”

“Typically, he’s the type that would be leading an army like this,” Saheer explained. “Batarians respect the meanest, strongest guy in the room above all else. K’Tova made it clear that it’s not his place to lead, though, only follow. He knows his limits, I think. K’Tova is at his best in a fight, not planning and strategizing. However, his imposing presence makes him an excellent decoy.”

“Arriving at Batarian People’s League manufacturing facility,” EDI announced over intercom.  Slowly, the Kodiak shuttle glided into an inconspicuous spot just outside the premises and towards the back of the factory’s front entrance. “We have not been detected.”

Opening the side hatch, Kaidan stepped out, M-7 Lancer assault-rifle aimed firmly ahead as he found cover behind some shrubs. EDI, Liara and Miranda followed, with Saheer and his bodyguard trailing the four of them. James’s team arrived in their shuttle a few seconds later and caught up.

“… We’re planning to blow this place to hell, right?” asked Jack as James’s team joined Kaidan’s. “That’s what Shepard used to do, and I’m always up for a good explosion.”

“The facility is fireproof and heavily fortified,” EDI responded. “We lack the munitions required to destroy it.”

“Hmm,” Kaidan murmured. “Jack has a point, though. If we find anything we don’t like, we cannot let the League recover from this assault and continue their operation.”

Looking out across the loading bay, the backdoor facility entrance was being guarded by a pair of guards. Two sniper rounds-- one from Ninju, and one from James – a piece took care of them.

“Too easy,” said James. “Coast is clear.”

“Everyone inside,” said Kaidan, leading the squad over to the facility’s backdoor entrance. The door required a passcode or scanned ID entry. “Look for an ID on the guards.”

“No need,” said Saheer. “Enter 9835MKE4 on the door console.”

Kaidan punched in the code, unlocking and opening the doors. Together, the twelve of them infiltrated the plant. Upon entrance, they found themselves within some sort of shipping center, with cargo crates all around the room. Immediately, they were spotted by a few workers inside.

“Intruders!” shouted one them. “Securi-” Bullets flew and the plant workers did not get a chance to alert the guards, though it was likely that Kaidan’s team would have to fight through them sooner or later.

Major Alenko used a Harmonic ability to scan some nearby crates with his eyes. “Weapons,” said Kaidan. “Military grade.”

“We’ll want to haul these out,” said Saheer, looking over at his bodyguards. Taking their cue, the batarians started picking up these boxes and carried them outside. Two doors led to the rest of the facility from the shipping center.

“Let’s split up again,” said Kaidan. “James, you and your team can take the passage on the left. We’ll take right.”

“Copy that.”

Kaidan led the way as he and his squad ventured down a dark hallway.  Harmonically, Kaidan emitted an invisible pulse that scanned the length of the hall, detecting all security devices along the way. With access, Kaidan disabled motion-sensors and froze the image on all cameras from the moment before he and his squad entered the hall. Undetected, Kaidan and his squadmates met no resistance. Near the end of the hall, they came across two doors, one with a sign reading [HOLDING CELLS].

Quizzical, Major Alenko tagged the door console to the holding cells and it opened to a room full of locked cages, containing what looked like political prisoners. At the far side of the room, another door opened, and a League worker appeared at the other side before spotting Kaidan’s team and running back and shutting it behind him. Kaidan tried to get a shot off and stop him, but missed. As the prisoners noticed Kaidan and his squad walking in, they went crazy, all begging for their release. Kaidan ignored them and pursued the frightened League worker.

As Kaidan tried to override the lock on the door console, he heard an explosion from within the room, the walls trembling from the impact. Shocked, Kaidan paused, then finished the override before entering the room. Inside, he found many scattered machine parts within a very confined space and the League employee lying lifelessly on the ground, which was marked with a distinctive ashy black circle.

“Goddess,” exclaimed Liara. “Whatever he was hiding in here must have been very sinister, and valuable, to have protected it at the cost of his own life.”

“Brainwashing,” muttered one of the prisoners. “Anyone who goes in that room doesn’t come out the same again.”

“Whatever goes on in that room,” added another captive, “it affects the controller too. Nobody comes out of it normal, just … dazed, and babbling things.”

“Some kind of a brainwashing device?” Miranda speculated. “Affecting the user as a side-effect, maybe.”

“Saheer did suspect some sort of indoctrination,” Kaidan pointed out, “but he believed they were being forcibly implanted.”

“Use of an external device for indoctrination would suggest remote-control,” EDI hypothesized.

“Disturbingly similar to the Reapers,” Liara commented.

“Could it be a Harmonics-based device?” Miranda suggested.

“That’s possible too,” said Kaidan. “But I know of some omnitool applications can Harmonically block out signals that compromise higher cognitive functions.”

“Please,” begged various prisoners again, “let us out!”

“Given what took place here,” said Miranda, “releasing these prisoners might be dangerous.”

Major Alenko eyed them carefully. “Hmm,” he murmured. “They’re not showing any tell-tale symptoms.” Kaidan paused for a moment, thinking, and then freed the prisoners by overriding the lock on their cell consoles. “Down the hall,” he directed them. “Find Saheer in the warehouse and he’ll get you guys back to camp.”

“Saheer?” one of the freed prisoners responded. “You … you fight with us?”

Kaidan nodded. With that, the half-dozen prisoners scrambled to find their fellows.

“Their chief can decide what he wants to do with them,” Kaidan concluded. “Not our problem either way, though. C’mon, let’s investigate the next room.”

* * *

  
James’s team headed into the heart of the plant, where large machines and conveyor belts were actively running, along with work-stations that altogether formed a maze in the middle of the room. However, something was missing.

Said James: “Shouldn’t there be wor-” when the arrival of armed guards interrupted him.

“Trespassers,” cried one of the hostile batarians, “get them!”

Immediately, James and his squadmates found cover behind some of the stands and tables that formed the labyrinth of work-stations in the area. James turned to his squad. “Alright,” he said under his breath. “Do a perimeter, Lola. Buggy, you follow along and give her cover from behind. Shorty, stay back and keep watch.”

Jack smirked and pulled out her shotgun, knowing lots of unlucky batarian bastards were about to meet her in close-quarters. Adept’s Ally active, Jack moved a step faster while her image turned blurry and ghostlike. Javik kept his assault-rifle close and trailed Jack, hustling just to keep up with her “walk.” Ninju activated a cloak that allowed him to move completely undetectable for a short time. After furtively positioning himself in a corner of the room with two clear lanes he could aim down his rifle’s sights, the volus set up his pylon, which periodically recharged his shields. In the meantime, he spawned a recon-drone, which gave him feedback on enemy position every time it detected one and allowed him to attack them remotely. James pulled out his M-11 Wraith, activated the devices in his armor suit Harmonically, and moved to the center of the room, where there was a staircase leading up another level.

Turning a corner, Jack found a trio of unsuspecting guards just a couple feet ahead of her. Her lashes ready, Jack hopped over and smashed a tidal wave of biotic energy down upon them. In so doing, the three of them perished instantly. This unsubtle takedown drew attention her way from the loud, crashing noise it produced, but for Jack, that was just a perk.

Javik spied two more guards coming from behind and eliminated them. Another pack of guards came after them from all corners. In Jack’s experience, the worst strategy when facing an enemy horde was to stay in one place. Doing so just made it easier to get overwhelmed. Instead, Jack moving around the immediate vicinity in a small circle, taking out every batarian in her path. Between her shotgun and biotics lashes, the guards had no answer for Jack, whose carnage now left a pool of blood on the floor that marked her territory nicely.

Out on the boundary, the volus Ninju picked off his targets that entered the room from a side door. His recon-drone remained up front to draw enemy attention, which he could control Harmonically to electrocute enemies, highlight weak spots in their armor, or overheat omnitools and biotic amps to throttle their attacks for a short time.

James had his Wraith shotgun aimed ahead, taking out three armed guards on the way to the center of the room. Before walking out into the open, Vega checked the upper level above for snipers. It looked clear, so he proceeded over to the middle of the room and headed towards the staircase, where a dozen more guards were coming down in his direction. But he was ready for them, counting to three before hurling an unpinned frag grenade in their direction, taking out most of his targets. Three remained, grievously wounded, before Vega walked by with his pistol and put them out of their misery. At the top, James found the power controls and shut down the factory room machines one by one.

James reported his team’s progress over the radio: “Powering everything off over here. Lots of stuff getting made here: weapons, electronics, some machine parts. Not anymore, though.”

“Good to hear,” said Kaidan over the radio.

Nearby, James spotted a datapad and took examined its contents.

“And, hmm … found a shipment schedule. Looks like those parts I was talking about are for ships, vehicles. Hundreds of units, all being picked up and hauled out to… a shipyard in Keismal.”

“Shipyards?” Kaidan responded. “Damn, maybe all this nonsense about military conquest is not a ruse, after all.”

“Also,” James added, “next page: accounts, showing massive sums of money being moved from the treasury to keep their production running over here. Yeah, I think you’re right, Rocco.”

“Alright, well, tell me what else you find over there. Out.”

* * *

  
In another room down the hall, Kaidan and his squad entered what looked like some sort of laboratory, though there were no workers present. Perhaps they knew of their squad’s break-in and fled, Kaidan figured. No matter, it allowed Major Alenko and his compatriots to investigate undisturbed, at least for the moment. Kaidan picked up a datapad lying next to a computer console.  
  


> It makes sense: rank-and-file gear for the rank-and-file soldiers. We are a long ways away from our goal, so our top combatants must get priority. Fortunately, the mercs have been worth every credit. Blue Suns and some Blood Pack have all come with better weapons and armor than most of them, not to mention experience.
> 
> Anyway, the search teams that went investigating one of the Hegemony’s top-secret military files have delivered: artifacts – Prothean, maybe – that hold vast information. Another science team has been mining it out for data. We’ve put their findings to good use. Upgraded weapons and equipment for the troops, mostly. We are also dabbling in this Harmonics stuff. Apparently this artifact offers some ideas on that front as well. Normally I am not one for following alien trends, but we do not want to fall behind the rest of the galaxy with something like this. And our guys out of the other labs say that these artifacts, coupled with the breakthrough of Harmonics, could give us something other species do not have. We’ve developed some prototypes – powerful, but crude, and the effects on our subjects have been all over the place.
> 
> But our Squad Elites look good out there. If we can make them a staple of our military, it will be a true force once again.

  
Kaidan tossed the ‘pad aside and shook his head a bit at yet more talks of expansion and an empire. These batarians were truly mad with ambition. However promising this government may have seemed at the beginning, it was growing apparent to him that they had lost their way.

“Some information here on the Harmonic devices used by squad elites,” said Liara, at a computer console. “Though, not much that we do not already have.”

“Hmm,” Miranda murmured, at another terminal, waving Kaidan over. “An experiment, it seems like…”

> Hope the Keismal team knows what they’re talking about. These mercs are a valuable commodity for us, and this one in particular was expensive. Still, it’s hard to argue with their results so far, and if they’re right about this, the payoff will be huge… literally.
> 
> Given our lack of numbers, we need to be able to do more with less. The Reapers knew how to make use of disposable resources. We can mimic what they had with husks. Though the victim is long dead, the body is a vessel still usable, it just needs the right parts. Reaper minions require their puppeteer in direct control, however, or they’re no good. Our model needs at least some independence. We do not have enough men to just pilot mindless drones.

“Some sort of supersoldier,” Kaidan surmised.

“Just like Cerberus,” said Miranda, slightly glaring. “Same old story. It might be useful tech, but it’s too easy for unqualified researchers to create something too powerful for them to handle and end up with a disaster.”

“Major,” said EDI, examining machine parts at another workstation, “some tech samples. Little different than the ones we’ve collected, but there may be some modifications.”

“Then let’s grab what we can of them and take it back to the ship for study,” Major Alenko ordered.

A wide entryway marked the opposite end of the room, sealed shut with the door console coded red to indicate lockdown. Kaidan spotted another active computer terminal nearby the door. The four of them walked over and took a look at the contents of the terminal.

> Subject is tightly bound and shackled. It took all eight of us to do so, but he’s secure and no threat to us. We’ve spent the past couple weeks integrating modifications, augmentations. All of our efforts therein have been successful.

“Another one,” said Kaidan, moving on, “dated today.”

> Our work on the subject is almost complete. Some finishing touches are required, and can be finished within the next two days. Can’t wait to see it in action. Our army has held off one final assault on the rebel peasants just to test him out against them (as if we did not notice their pattern of hiding between three mucky foxholes). I am confident that this monster will wipe out the whole of their fighting force on its own, though it will be accompanied with some provisional League forces just in case. We’ll have to give him a name soon. I suggest “Vacknar,” fictional legend of an indomitable stone beast that laid entire dominions to waste, and dying only after bringing an entire world-war unto itself.

Their eyes altogether widened as they finished reading the account.

“Whatever they were working on is likely through that door,” said Miranda. “We lack the time and resources to claim it for ourselves, and we cannot risk it being used against us. It must be destroyed, now.”

“We do not know what we’re dealing with,” Liara objected. “Just leave it here, Major. We may end up fighting it later anyway, yes, but it’s not necessarily better to do it here and now. With luck, it will remain locked away in this holding cell for the duration of our mission.”

“And then what?” Miranda countered.

“The logs say that the subject is restrained,” EDI pointed out. “We can first take a look at it ourselves before deciding on a course of action.”

“And one would think that if it were loose,” Miranda added, “we’d have heard it scrabbling around inside, but we’ve heard nothing from within.”

Major Alenko nodded, and proceeded to override the lock on the door console. Once unlocked, the console turned green, and the doors opened to reveal the experiment subject: a krogan, lying in rest, with Blood Pack tattoos and on his skin, the same emblems imprinted on the armor, marks of extensive implants and augmentations across its body, even some bulky machine parts attached onto its epidermis. Most worryingly, the krogan sat atop seven fresh batarian corpses, and the holographic cuffs around its wrists and feet were not attached to kinetic bindings as they should have been.

The creature was unbound.

“Oh no,” Liara whispered, “no-no-no-no-no!”

Then it awakened. Getting up, it looked at them and let out a fearsome roar, standing menacingly before them.

Major Alenko quickly noticed as the krogan supersoldier crouched down and planted its foot in the ground, snapping out of a momentary daze to yell, “KROGAN CHARGE – MOVE!!!”

The four of them dove away as the krogan behemoth stormed ahead. As they got up, the krogan turned and pointed his hand out to them. Kaidan squinted, then identified the attached mechanism that replaced the subject’s normal hand and digits – it was the barrel of an M-76 Revenant machine gun.

“Vacknar” fired off high-velocity rounds from its hand in their direction. Just like a Cannibal from the Reaper War, thought Kaidan. Only, this weapon was deadlier. Aside from five sturdy lab tables, the room did not offer them a whole lot of cover. Against a normal krogan, that was problematic. Against whatever they were facing, Major Alenko feared it could prove fatal.

They needed a plan, but also had to know what they were dealing with, Kaidan reasoned. Harmonically, he probed his omnitool for the Tactical Scanner app. Once found, he readily took the hostile krogan’s reading, which created a virtual display image for all to see that highlighted the target’s weak spots and revealed the strength of his fortifications with flags, reading: **shields – 2,340 pt, barriers – 1,800 pt.**

“Take down the barriers!” Kaidan ordered. “We need detonating biotics!”

“I’ve got it,” said Miranda, using Tactical Timer to set up a long combination chain in virtual-space.

**[EDI:OVR/MKA:END >>>MIR:ENV/LIA:THR>>>MKA:REV/MIR:WRP>>>EDI:OVR (approx. dmg. val: 1806 pt)]**

Together, the quartet unleashed devastating tech and biotic attacks on their krogan target, breaching its barriers. However, the krogan weathered the detonations’ massive impact and charged again, destroying one of the lab tables behind which Liara had taken cover. Its attack sent her airborne, hitting the wall and leaving her knocked out, unconscious.

“Liara is down!” cried EDI.

“Keep up the pressure,” Major Alenko commanded. “Don’t hold anything back!”

Kaidan kept his assault-rifle firing steadily while his omnitool fired off tech attacks Harmonically. Miranda periodically overloaded the krogan’s shields with her own device while also charging up and firing her Acolyte pistol. EDI unloaded her shotgun and spawned a decoy near the krogan, which it attacked fruitlessly before the virtual image powered down. Half the beast’s shields remained. Then it turned to the real EDI and charged her position, taking out yet another lab table. EDI rolled out of the way promptly and avoided most of the impact, but Vacknar proved nimble and turned back sharply before EDI could move any further. EDI got up to find herself within arm’s length of the monster. In response, she swung some punches and kicked the weak spots in Vacknar’s armor, doing some damage beneath the creature’s layer of kinetic shielding. Vacknar grabbed EDI and tossed her forcefully at the wall, rendering her mobile platform inoperable.

“NO!!” Major Alenko shouted, crouching down into cover and steeling himself before getting back up and firing. About a quarter of its shields remained. Vacknar fired his machine-gun and forced both Miranda and Kaidan back into cover. When he paused, however, Kaidan – switching to his Paladin pistol – lined up a shot right at the creature’s weapon hand. With three straight shots, the barrel was had broken, now wildly misfiring its bullets and practically useless. However, Vacknar then raised two additional cannons out of its shoulder-blades. Turrets, providing rapid-fire backup for the hostile krogan. As if that wasn’t enough, the krogan revealed another cannon under the wrist of its opposite hand, which fired off three charged electric shots akin to the main gun of a Geth Prime.

Quite irked, Miranda responded bitterly, “How many weapons does this thing have??”

Kaidan blew off the turrets with his pistol after they stopped firing, but the underarm pulse cannon proved more difficult to hit. With shields nearly depleted, the krogan charged Miranda’s position, though she was ready for it and quickly shifted to another covered spot. Kaidan continued whittling down its shields. The krogan charged at Miranda again, and though she avoided its attack once again, there remained only one more viable source of cover for Kaidan and her left, and they were both fully aware of that fact.

“No choice,” said Major Alenko stoically, standing up and leaving cover, effectively making himself the krogan’s bait. “Cover me.”

Before she could even respond, Kaidan engaged the krogan supersoldier out in the open. Though Miranda did not like seeing Kaidan risk himself, she realized the necessity of it and determined to do whatever it took to bring that monster down. Kaidan had his rifle out and continued firing on the krogan and dodged the Krogan’s first charge. Miranda overloaded its shields and eliminated its protective outer layer. Vacknar was now taking damage as Kaidan and Miranda’s shots chipped off its armor plating and drew some blood from its tough, leathery skin. It turned and fired its pulse cannon at Major Alenko, but its shots were easy to avoid. Frustrated, it charged again. Kaidan moved aside readily, but the krogan had adapted to its target’s tendencies, this time anticipating Kaidan’s evasion and self-correcting rather than charging straight ahead as before. Again showing its surprising agility, Vacknar lowered its shoulder on Kaidan and knocked him back.

“Kaidan!” Miranda cried worriedly.

Kaidan felt the wind knocked out of him and struggled to get back on his feet, while the krogan sought to finish off his prey. Major Alenko looked up and saw its pulse cannon aimed at him, and rolled aside to avoid its shots, but lacked the strength to make a full effort. Two of the cannon’s shots hit him, eliminating his tech-armor, biotic-barier, and kinetic shields. Once again, the krogan charged, giving chase as Major Alenko hurried dashed away. Kaidan then tapped the Harmonic device under his boots and mapped out a trajectory from his position traveling above his pursuer and ending behind it. Using his biotics, Kaidan fired and executed an impressive backflip safely outside the krogan’s path, this time managing to stay on his feet upon landing. With the krogan momentarily confused, Kaidan shot it from behind with his Paladin and spawned a hex-shield in front of himself. Vacknar fired upon the shield, hoping to destroy it, but Kaidan rerouted power from his recharging kinetic barriers to the hexagonal cover in front of him Harmonically. In so doing, the hex-shield remained, though on the verge of collapse. In response, Vacknar rushed ahead, to take out the barrier and Kaidan behind it in one fell swoop.

Kaidan dove out of the way, though not before he rigged the hex-shield to explode upon collapse. The ensuing blast momentarily crippled the relentless krogan, and amplified the effects of Kaidan and Miranda’s tech attacks against it for a short time. However, just as normal krogan recovered from seemingly-mortal wounds with their redundant nervous system and regenerative tissue, Vacknar recovered and attempted to fight on. Major Alenko countered with reave biotics, which blocked the creature’s regenerative abilities. At that moment, Vacknar appeared vulnerable once more, kneeling and bleeding profusely as he took damage from both sides.

Suddenly, the krogan started bleeding waves of electrical energy. Dismayed, Kaidan and Miranda seized their fire and looked on. Disintegrating rapidly, Vacknar shed his skin and much of his armor to reveal a synthetic skeleton underneath it all, now taking on a husk-like appearance before several loud and powerful electrical shocks ‘revived’ him. To the horror of Kaidan and Miranda both, Vacknar got back on his feet with shields recharged, ready for another round.

Kaidan holstered his pistol for his assault-rifle again, letting loose another barrage of gunfire. It was a good thing the M-7 Lancer was an older model that did not require clips, because he would have depleted its supply a while ago. Miranda had exhausted the ammunition available to her Acolyte pistol and switched to her Hornet SMG. Vacknar lumbered forward, firing off its pulse canon at Kaidan, who dodged its predictable shots. Vacknar stepped forward a couple more steps and contracted into a defensive stance. Kaidan froze, taking a step towards the monster before it lashed out, roaring loudly and discharging an unstable wave of electrical energy that caught Kaidan in its radius. His barrier greatly weakened, Major Alenko tried to compensate using energy-drain from his omnitool, only to find that his handheld device had also been affected by the blast and malfunctioned.

Vacknar bull-rushed him, but Kaidan rolled out of the way while the krogan charged straight ahead and missed. Kaidan’s omnitool recovered, and before Vacknar could try again, Kaidan spawned a hex-shield in front of him. Wary of the explosive effect, Vacknar suddenly turned his attention to Miranda and charged at her cover. Miranda saw the krogan coming and had time to react accordingly, but the enemy nonetheless eliminated all cover from the area. It appeared that Vacknar was no longer taking Major Alenko as bait and instead sought to eliminate the weaker prey. Miranda was tough, but was not equipped to hold off the krogan supersoldier for very long.

In a bold final act of defiance, Kaidan tapped his Commodore’s Dashboard app and directed Miranda to hit the fiendish superkrogan with a biotic warp field and position herself behind him. Miranda complied as Vacknar planted his foot in the ground and charged behind her. Channeling as much biotic power into his omnitool hand as he could muster, Major Alenko took the incoming enemy head-on and delivered a powerful blow into its armor’s center capacitor, simultaneously unleashing his biotics and an overload tech-attack from his omnitool which altogether detonated a devastating tech- and biotic-explosion. The impact sent Vacknar flying back and hitting the wall, hard. Exhausted from the biotic discharge, Major Alenko walked over, panting, and then pulled out his Paladin pistol to finish off the krogan monstrosity once and for all.

As it lay crippled on the ground, Kaidan fired the last four shots left in his Paladin at Vacknar. In disbelief, he stared at its lifeless body until he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned around to see Miranda standing beside him with her rare and wholly rewarding smile of approval.

“It’s over,” she said, “the beast is dead.”

Sweating, panting, hearts still pumping, their eyes met, and Kaidan smiled back at her, proudly. Not breaking eye contact, Miranda’s joyous expression slowly turned serious. In a moment where time itself seemed to stop, Kaidan and Miranda instinctively drew their faces closer to each other’s, eyes shut, when they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of pained groaning from the far side of the room. It was Liara, dazed and recovering from the blow she sustained in the fight. With that, Kaidan and Miranda snapped back into the moment, blushing and smiling embarrassedly.

“We, uh, should probably get EDI’s platform repaired back at the ship,” said Kaidan, in a sheepish attempt to act normal. “Or – something.”

“Right,” Miranda concurred. “She took a bad hit. Let’s, er, check on Commander Vega’s progress.”

Coincidentally, James and his squad appeared in the lab a moment later.

“Swept the other side, Rocco,” Vega announced. “Something was messing with your radio, though, so I– holy…”

James spotted the dead krogan supersoldier’s synthetic corpse on the ground, and EDI’s platform also lying on the ground.

“Long story,” Kaidan responded. “I’ll tell you the whole thing back on our ship. EDI’s platform may need attention, but, the damage should be fixable.”

“Aye aye, Major. We picked up some a few more tech samples and made sure to throw a wrench in their machines on the way out. Quite literally, for some of them.”

“Nice,” said Major Alenko. “Alright everyone. Let’s head back to the ship.”


	11. Rounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd really like to finish this thing out. You know the drill.

Walking out of the mess hall, James spotted Major Alenko standing alone in front of the memorial-wall and joined him.

“… Thinking about the lost, Major?” asked James.

“Yeah,” Kaidan murmured solemnly.

“You actually know most of the people on here,” said James. “I only really knew Anderson and Shepard.”

“Yup,” said Kaidan, “old Normandy crew that died in the Collector attack, Navigator Pressley being the biggest name on the list. Some friends and crew from Shepard’s mission with Cerberus are here, too, but I didn’t really know them. Corporal Jenkins. Died in our mission on Eden Prime. Good kid, young. Had a whole life ahead of him. But, the one I’ve been thinking about right now is Ash.”

“Ash?”

“Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams,” Kaidan clarified. “Top left corner. Didn’t die in the Collector attack. We joined up with her on Eden Prime, where she lost her whole company to the geth. Anderson recruited her after the mission. Good soldier. Her family was blackballed by the Alliance because her grandfather was the general who surrendered to the turians on Shanxi. Ash really pushed herself to be the best marine she could be because of that, trying to redeem the Williams family name.”

“How did she die?” asked James.

“Virmire,” Kaidan recounted. “We met up with a salarian squad with the STG doing recon on one of Saren’s bases.”

“The one with the genophage cure?” queried James.

“Exactly, and we determined that the place had to be destroyed. High-risk operation, no backup either since the place had active AA guns that would have blown the Normandy out of the sky. Shepard would go infiltrate the base with his strike team and the salarians would serve as a distraction. Also, the salarians required one of our squad to accompany theirs, someone who knew Alliance protocols. Shepard was obviously leading the strike team, so it had to either be me or Ash. Though Ash was willing and eager to do it, Shepard sent me, since I had prior experience leading small fireteams.”

“Makes sense,” commented James. “Distraction’s not real useful if it’s dead.”

“Right,” Kaidan concurred, “though I’m sure Ash would have proven capable and done an admirable job, herself. Anyway, near the end of the mission, we brought in a nuke to blow up the place from the inside – only way we could destroy it for good. Shepard radioed me and told me to get to the rendezvous point, but I said no, there were too many geth and we were overwhelmed. No problem, Ash needed time to arm the nuke, so Shepard and his squad could head over and give us a hand.”

Kaidan’s tone turned grimmer as he went on.

“Half-way there, the geth dropped reinforcements at the bomb site. Ash had no choice but to set the nuke to go off on a timer, giving the Normandy just enough time to make one quick pickup and get out, but only one pickup, and neither one of us expected to hold off the geth much longer without help. He could only save one of us…”

“… and he chose you,” said James, finishing the story.

“Yeah,” Kaidan affirmed in a low, hushed whisper.

“Damn,” James remarked.

“And to this day,” Kaidan added, “I’m still not sure why.”

“You really don’t know?” James asked in disbelief.

“No,” Kaidan replied, at a loss. “I really don’t. Was it because I was a better soldier? Doubt it. We had different skills, but she was every bit as good in a fight, and younger. Was it rank? Ash seemed to imply that. _‘It’s the right choice, LT. And you know it.’_ That’s what she said over the radio at the time of the decision. Although, I think I probably would have said the same if he had chosen her. Shepard said he was sorry, that he had to make a choice, but Ash just said, ‘I don’t regret a thing.’ Those were the last words I heard from her, that any of us heard from her. She really went out like a hero.”

“Wow,” James remarked. “And, Shepard never told you, either?”

“Not really. Back on the ship, I said it should have been me to stay behind. Shepard simply said that Ash knew the risks when she signed on. I did not bring it up too many times after that. What few times we spoke about it, Shepard just kind of backed it up with soldier-speak: knew the risks, best interest of the mission… all that stuff which really does nothing to answer my question.”

“I see,” said James.

“Losing Ash really hit him hard,” Kaidan went on. “Shepard was friendly with everyone on our squad, but, he was just a different man around Ashley. She brought out another side of him, something he always kept to himself. When it was clear one of us had to be left behind, there was some radio silence before Shepard made a decision. We were good, you know? Close, as friends and all. But in that moment, I just felt certain that he was going to pick her. That’s why I always wonder, you know, why me? ‘Cause I sure didn’t see it coming. Though, I suppose I could say the same for a lot of decisions he made.”

James crossed his arms and nodded a bit, looking off.

“I met the Williams family at her funeral,” Kaidan mentioned. “Real stand-up bunch, just like Ash herself. She did them proud. After having to live with the stigma of their great-grandfather general for so long, the Alliance now remembers the name “Williams” as one of a hero. I am sure she really did die proud, no regrets. Can’t help but think where she would be had she survived, though. She may have been a Williams, but I can’t imagine the Alliance would have continued to ignore her skill as a soldier and how she helped take down Saren. You would’ve liked her. She was fun, a real passionate individual.”

“I’m sorry,” said James. “Sounds rough.”

Kaidan shrugged. “But it’s worth remembering. Keeps things in perspective.”

“Yeah,” said James. “Maybe you’re right. Anyway, I should leave you to your thoughts. Ready for anything, major.”

“Thanks, LC.”

James made for the elevator just behind them and headed down for his post. After he left, Kaidan took a couple steps towards the wall and gently ran his fingers over the engraved letters of Ashley’s nameplate, taking a moment to himself in remembrance. “Rest in peace,” he whispered, “Ash. Jenkins. Pressley. Anderson. Shepard…”  
  


* * *

  
Seeing Major Alenko approach him on the bridge surveillance-camera display screen, Joker turned his chair around and began talking straightaway.

“Major, what happened to her?” he asked, visually perturbed.

“EDI will be fine, Joker. I checked,” Kaidan replied reassuringly, but firmly. “None of the damage was irreparable.”

“But what if it was worse?” he asked, now pouting, “what if –”

“Jeff,” said EDI over the intercom. “I will be fine. And provided my quantum blue-box in the AI core remains intact, I will always be here, even if my physical platform is destroyed.”

“I-” Joker responded, “… yeah, you’re right. It’s just….” He sighed.

“We’re all putting ourselves at risk, Joker,” said Kaidan. “You need to accept that.”

“Like I’m supposed to accept losing my dad?” he shot back, irate. “Losing Gunny, my sister? And Anderson? Shepard? Sure, Major. That’s fine. Don’t worry about my feelings or anything, so long as I just shut up and do my job over here. That’s totally fine…”

Major Alenko raised an eyebrow, and Joker’s frown then vanished as he felt immediate regret for his words.

“I… I’m sorry, Major. I just… ugh, I needed to vent, air that all out.”

“Feeling better?” asked Kaidan flatly.

“Honestly, yeah. Yeah, I kinda do. ‘Needed to get that off my chest.”

“I understand, Joker,” said Kaidan. “And, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. It was a rough war, for all of us, but you especially. I get that.”

“How’s Liara doing, by the way?”

“Nothing serious,” Kaidan reported, “she’ll be back in fighting shape soon enough, Doc’s just told her to take it easy for a bit and stay in the med-bay.”

“Good. We’ve had enough bad news. Thinking we’d just lost EDI,” Joker confessed, “even if it was just that body, it hit really close to home. But, you’re right. So long as the AI core is safe, EDI will always be here, and it’s only that part that really matters.”

“Have you guys ever considered having EDI’s data backed up,” Kaidan asked, “so that if something happens to her blue-box, she could be restored in the event of a premature death?”

“I’ve explored this option,” EDI replied. “However, backup into a new blue-box – a new ‘brain,’ essentially – could alter the resulting personality, instead producing someone entirely different.”

“Even with an identical blue-box?” responded Kaidan.

“A perfect copy of the hardware I use now would offer the best chance at a perfect transition,” EDI acknowledged. “However, the blue-box in the AI core was created with fragments of Sovereign’s remains. All Reaper remains have been claimed and swept up after the war, and even if we were to obtain such pieces, it would be impossible to find all the exact sizes and shapes required to produce a perfect replica.”

“Damn,” said Major Alenko. “That might have been worthwhile.”

“Well,” said Joker, “if the ship’s AI core takes that kind of damage, it probably means we’re all screwed anyway. And if it ever happens, let me go down with the ship, Major. Shepard died the first time trying to save me, and losing him wasn’t worth it. If the ship goes, EDI goes, and I go with her.”

“No,” EDI protested. “I do not want my death to cause any more deaths than necessary, and especially not your life. If the Normandy is lost, get yourself to safety.

Joker turned his head to Major Alenko, looking for him to settle the issue.

“I’m with EDI on this one,” he ruled. “I get that you’re the pilot, you want to go down with ship, but when your ship is telling you not to do it, then…”

“Argh,” Joker responded grudgingly, “… fine.”

“Well,” said Kaidan, “this wasn’t the place to go for happy conversation.”

“Well what did you expect?” Joker replied defensively. “EDI barely came back from the mission in one piece!”

“I will be fine, Jeff.”

“I know. I know, EDI, just … be careful out there.”  
  


* * *

  
Miranda was sitting on a chair in the corner of Starboard Observatory looking off into the stars when Kaidan walked in. Seeing his reflection, she began speaking to him immediately.

“Major,” she said, turning her head his way slightly. “Kaidan, I– _we_ need to talk about what… happened between us on the last mission.” Once the door shut behind them, which she locked Harmonically for privacy, Miranda got up. Kaidan opened his mouth to speak, but had no words. “What we experienced was a natural human response called ‘ _misattribution_.’ Together, alone, we faced an enemy of great strength in very dangerous circumstances and triumphed, and it seems the arousal that resulted from the event led us to, mmm… you know.”

Kaidan, feeling his skin turn suddenly hot and moist, struggled greatly to hold back from grinning like an idiot. Miranda saw him struggling and she, too, had difficulty not smiling and laughing.

“So,” she continued, “it’s just that, Major. Kaidan. It was simple carelessness. Adrenaline. And I would not see such a display of unprofessionalism happen again. Can we agree on that, at least?”

“Sure,” he said as his expression turned normal again, “I can agree, but I think we’re just skirting around the main issue here. I mean, sure, maybe time and place had something to do with it, but,” Kaidan took a measured breath. “… What happened – for us to even go as far as we did – could only have happened because of some very real attraction between us. Which…”

The look on Miranda’s face also turned serious, with a tinge of worry in her eyes.

“Yes,” she replied, “You’re right. I’ve noticed it as well, even before what happened. But–” She sighed, turning away and looking down at the floor. Kaidan took a couple steps closer to her, unsure if he should offer a physical gesture of comfort, or maintain their distance. “You and I, we’ve both seen what happens on these missions. We both know the risks involved, and we accept them, because we commit ourselves to something greater, more important than our lives.”

She turned, looked at him tenderly and slowly brought her hands out, which Kaidan grasped with his own, and in this intimate hold, Miranda looked him in straight the eye.

“It’s true,” Miranda confessed, smiling through growingly worried eyes. “I do feel something real between us. I… I _care_ for you, Kaidan.”

“And I feel the same for you too, Miranda” Kaidan declared. “Absolutely.”

“But you have to promise me something,” said Miranda, whose smile suddenly faded just as quickly as her tone changed. “Promise… promise me that you will _never_ sacrifice your mission to save my life.”

“Miranda…”

“I need to know,” she explained, “that – if you’re the right man – that you will do the right thing, for everyone. Not just form me, or yourself. Otherwise…”

“No,” Kaidan responded, “I understand.”

“Then?”

“You have my word,” said Kaidan.

Though her eyes welled up, Miranda smiled. “Thank you, Kaidan,” she responded. “I had to be sure you understood. Some things are worth more than our lives. What would it say of you, of me, if we knowingly destroyed the lives of others, made them suffer, just to–”

“ _Shhh_ ,” Kaidan whispered, interrupting her. “You have my word, Miranda, but know this: not a mission will I plan, not a battle will I fight without doing _everything in my power_ to get us both out of alive, safe and sound. I will not abandon the mission to save you against your will, but before it gets there, I will fight to protect you from that fate with everything I have. And if the choice is between my life or yours… I’m choosing yours.”

“I–” Miranda responded, not entirely pleased, but relenting, “… fair enough.”

“But we’ve spoken enough about this,” said Kaidan. “We cannot know how things will end. We take the time we are given and make the most of it. Like, moments such as these.”

“Oh?” Miranda responded sassily. “And what do we do with this time we have now, Major?”

Kaidan smirked, staring back at her. “How about we, uh… pick up where we left off?” Miranda chortled, and looked back at him keenly.

Nothing to interrupt them this time, their lips met, and in a tight hold they lingered on…  
  


* * *

  
Major Alenko walked into the forward battery, where Ninju Mats was calibrating the main gun.

“Can’t be too careful with the main cannon,” said Kaidan, tongue-in-cheek. “The trees might up and attack our ship like while we’re grounded.”

Ninju shrugged. “I need a hobby,” he explained, returning the sarcasm, “I am beginning to understand why Mr. Vakarian used to do it all the time, it gets downright dull down here.”

“I see,” said Kaidan.

“You hear a great deal about the Normandy team’s exploits on the extranet, in the vids. Getting to hear about what used to go on from those who were there first-hand, however, is a great privilege.”

“I’ll bet.”

“Speaking of which,” said Ninju. “I was just thinking about some of the things your squad did during the Shepard era, and was wondering what your take was.”

Major Alenko crossed his arms. “Such as? I may not be able to tell you everything, mind you, but I’ll say what I can.”

“I know how it is,” Ninju replied, “I was military once, myself. First off, how did Shepard feel about aliens and humanity?”

“Shepard told me that he believed all species brought something to the table as a larger part of the galactic community, and the key was to getting every species to contribute in a productive way. Humans had their part to play, we needed to show that and prove worthy allies to the rest of the galactic community.”

“So then why did he join Cerberus, the zealously pro-human organization?” asked Ninju.

“Ah,” said Kaidan, rubbing the back of his neck. “It was… complicated. The Alliance and Council denied him help for investigating the Reaper threat, so he was willing to ally with Cerberus to get the resources he needed to do that. Believe me, it was tough for me to accept as well, but he did it for entirely practical reasons.”

“I see,” said Ninju. “Little-known-fact about the team that took down Saren is what happened on Noveria. You eliminated Benezia, yes, but also found a rachni-queen and released her back into the wild. Given the galaxy’s history with the rachni, that was an appalling decision.”

Major Alenko raised an eyebrow. “You know about that? Well, you’re well-informed. Yes, Shepard let the ‘Queen go free, but we spoke to it. Not all of our squad, mind you, was in favor of that decision – we had a krogan on our team, so you can imagine – but condemning a species to genocide is an extreme measure. As the last remaining ‘Queen, killing her would have been the death-knell for her whole race.”

“Extinction of a species is a natural part of our world,” said Ninju, “and species that prove incompatible with the ecosystem they’re part of sometimes have to be purged from it. Or was your genocide of the Collectors also too extreme? The Thorian?”

Kaidan smirked a bit as the conversation became suddenly academic. “Well, aside from the big differences between those three cases, it was heavily implied that the rachni were not acting on their own volition during the Rachni Wars. Given our findings on the Reapers, indoctrination was suspected to have been the cause for the conflict. Even without that knowledge, our dialogue with the ‘Queen indicated that she was aware of why the galaxy came into conflict with her kind and understood why she could not afford to let it happen again if she wanted her species to have a future. Given that, we felt the Rachni deserved a second chance. Also, I suspect Shepard saw an ally for his cause against the Reapers.”

“Looks like he regretted that decision,” Ninju pointed out. Major Alenko shrugged.

“Blame the Reapers for that,” he replied. “We found her again in a cave with Reaper tech lying around. It was unclear how long she’d been exposed to their influence. The ‘Queen said that the Reapers did not take her mind, but of course, we’d heard that one before. It was a gut-wrenching decision for Shepard, given his history with them, but he could not take that chance. If she was indoctrinated, so too was her whole race, and it sure seemed that way already. It’s no mercy to let indoctrinated thralls live. In retrospect, maybe the risk was too great all along.”

“Right,” said the volus. “How about Rannoch? Brokering peace between geth and quarians is impressive. It might just go down in history as one of his greatest accomplishments, which – given his exploits against Reapers – speaks volumes. How did Shepard foresee such an end when everyone, including the Alliance, identified geth as a hostile threat?”

“Honestly,” Kaidan admitted, “that was by far the most difficult decision by him for me to understand. Shepard apparently made friends with a geth. I was not there, so I am not really qualified to judge the wisdom of that friendship. ‘Legion’ revealed the schism between true-geth and heretic-geth. Apparently, not all geth want to slaughter organics, just enough of them to be a big problem when Sovereign tried to take the Citadel. And the rest of them ‘only’ wanted to drive their creators off their planet and killed any organics that encountered them. Very reassuring, right?”

“To their credit, this ‘Legion’ was an attempt by them to reach out to us. Well, to Shepard, and he proved to be the ally they were hoping for, helping broker peace with their creators. As you can tell, I was a skeptic, having had no good experiences with the geth before. Though fascinating, their lot never seemed worth the trouble of an alliance to me. But, just take a look at our galaxy now. I like the Reapers even less than geth, but I cannot deny how useful synthetics have proven to galactic society as of recent. How prominent and widespread AI have become since the war ended is still a bit of a shock, but it’s hard to argue with progress.”

“In fact,” said Ninju, “I approve. The Council’s ban on AI was nonsense. It only ensured no progress was made on learning something with the potential to revolutionize the world as we know it. Besides which, we all know that rules are meant to be broken. It did not actually stop numerous AI from being created, it just made them created in secret. And now the war ended such that we have been forced to do away with that regulation. You ask me? Serves them right.”

“Ah, but I’m rambling. I’ve taken so much of your time, and you have better things to do.”

“Not a problem,” said Major Alenko. “You were not available for rounds last time, so I suppose we had to make up for that.”

“One last thing I want to ask you,” said Ninju. “What are _your_ principles, Major Alenko? What values do you stand by and seek to uphold, as the captain of this ship and commander of the mission?”

Kaidan held his fist up against his chin and thought it over.

“Hmm,” he muttered, looking off. “Simply put, I signed on to do some good in the world. I know that ideal solutions are a luxury you’re not always afforded in this line of work, but, if our mission leaves things better overall than they were before? I call that a victory.”

“Wise words,” the volus responded. “I quite agree. Anyway, I should not take up more of your time. Until later, my dear Major.”  
  


* * *

  
As per usual, Javik was standing at his reflection-pool when Kaidan walked in, and just as usual, Javik sensed his presence without turning back to look at him.

“ _May-jah_ ,” he mumbled to acknowledge him.

“So,” Kaidan started, “Javik, what are your plans for after our mission, if you don’t mind my asking? I mean, if I remember right, you said you were going to go to the graves of your deceased squadmates from the war and join them. You’ve stayed, though.”

“My mission is not complete,” answered Javik. “The Reapers are still here.”

“What are the chances you’ll ever get to complete it?” asked Kaidan.

“I’ve explained this already. It is only a matter of time before the conflict between organic and machine begins anew. I’ve heard of enough attempts at ‘peace’ to see where this will all lead and so I stand ready. Protheans live longer than asari, longer even than krogan. I will wait, for however long is required. Then I will do what I was sworn to do, or die trying.”

“Okay,” said Kaidan, “say it does happen – the Reapers go to war with us and then are all destroyed by the next great big superweapon we build – … then what?”

Javik nodded, still not facing Kaidan. “Then I return to my people, as I had planned.”

“And, what about in all the time in-between that when there’s no war?” asked Kaidan. “You can’t spent all your time counting off the days, hung up on an old hatred.”

“I can,” Javik retorted, dipping his hands into the water and wringing them. “I am a soldier, Mayjah. When I was born, I was raised for a life of endless war. A life of rivalries, sacrifice, and pain is the only one I know. I cannot live any other way.”

“What’s the harm in trying?” Kaidan responded.

“I see no point,” Javik replied. “It was not the life meant for me, and this galaxy no longer belongs to the people of my cycle.” Kaidan gazed down at the floor for a moment, deep in thought, then looked back up at Javik.

“War is an ugly business,” said Kaidan. “I’ve seen that myself. But there is a whole lot more out there in the galaxy than just bloodshed and war. There is beauty in this world. Otherwise, what point would there be in ever fighting to save it?”

Javik fell silent.

“Don’t you deserve to live, to enjoy the very thing you fought to save?” added Kaidan.

Javik bowed his head, then turned and faced Kaidan.

“I was spending time on Earth as Liara’s ‘bodyguard,’” Javik revealed. “There was never any need of my skills. It was difficult. Even when I was not thinking about the Reapers, the very blood in my veins felt hot and raged inside me. Such sudden change from all the action of the war, to the peace of civilian life was… a shock to me.”

“Well,” said Kaidan, “I can’t imagine that spending all your time cooped up in an intel-broker’s base is a good idea to begin with, ex-military or no. Sounds pretty dull.”

Javik’s eyes shifted aside and then straight back at Major Alenko. “Occasionally, the asari and I explored the area beyond her base. We saw ruins of old human empires that were spared from the destruction of the war, one that had been known as ‘Greece.’ They were… intriguing.”

“How so?”

“In my cycle, no historical landmarks of note remained intact. The Reapers destroyed them all. To see the remnants of an older time survive centuries of time, even as the world moved on around them, is… awe-inspiring.”

“You sound impressed,” Major Alenko commented. “High praise, coming from you.”

“Perhaps,” said Javik, leaning back on the reflection pool. “While there, I ran my fingers along the stone pillars and bricks that formed these artifacts. Tourists, mostly, had left their mark behind. However, I was sometimes able to sense the life and memories of those who had lived in the times when the empire was at its apex, and see a glimpse of the world myself – if only for a few seconds, at most.”

“Wow,” said Kaidan. “That’s pretty incredible.”

“Yes,” Javik concurred.

Kaidan was at a loss for words beyond that, which he figured meant it was probably time to wrap up this conversation, though not without one last thought before he walked out. Stopping at the door, Kaidan said, “Change can be a scary thing, Javik, but our world has many wonders to offer anyone who resolves to go look for them.”

“It is something to consider,” Javik would admit. With that, Kaidan walked on out.  
  


* * *

  
“We finally found out who was hitting all the other gangs,” said Jack to a wide-eyed Kaidan listening on, “an asari fanatic group led by a ‘Justicar’ by the name Hera. It was obvious they would come for us sooner or later, so, we took the fight to them.”

“What? Justicars are experienced warriors and very powerful biotics,” pointed out an incredulous Major Alenko.

“Except she was an impersonator,” Jack explained, “not an actual Justicar. Her group was just another gang, and Hera played the cops for suckers making them believe her. Not only did they turn a blind eye to her, she also used them to give her funding, protection, support. When she went after rivals, some of them did not even put up a fight and just begged the mighty Justicar for mercy!”

“And the police never caught on?” asked Kaidan. “Couldn’t she have fallen apart if a rival gang exposed her for what she was?”

“Hera covered her tracks and played the part well,” said Jack. “Other gangs believed she was really a Justicar, too. I had a feeling she wasn’t real, but couldn’t prove it, and the cops probably would not have listened to the likes of us over her, anyway.”

“So what happened next?”

“We took the cop advantage away from her. A few of us posed as new recruits, unarmed, and got inside her base. Once in, I used my biotics to kill the ones that escorted us in and picked up the weapons off of them. Then we went around and took out the guards and lookout men. Soon, our gang was all over the place, and we knew Hera couldn’t call her lackeys at the police department for help, or they’d see the shit in her base and find her out. In the end, I cornered the bitch alone in an underground vault by myself.”

“We got into a shoot-out, but then our clips ran out. After that, we dueled with nothing but our biotics. She was good; I could see why she got some people to think she was a Justicar. Couldn’t keep up with me, though. All the shockwaves and warp-bombs I threw eventually wasted her. Our gang didn’t even bother looting up the place when we were done. It was more satisfying to let the cops see who they were helping all that time.”

“Ha!” Kaidan responded.

“Alright,” said Jack. “Your turn.”

“Okay,” said Kaidan, leaning forward from his seat atop the table opposite Jack’s cot, pondering. “Do you, uh, remember the rise of a batarian extremist group that terrorized cities in human colonies outside council space? This would’ve happened, oh… shortly after Shepard destroying the Alpha Relay.”

“Nope,” she answered. “Just some riots and hate crimes here and there, nothing world-shaking.”

“That’s because I discovered and stopped the batarian terrorists in question before they got rolling,” Kaidan revealed. “Soon after the batarian colony and its home system were wiped off the map, the Alliance and Council both had me deal with the fallout. The Council wanted me to inform them of the batarians’ response, and the Alliance just wanted me to respond to the inevitable retaliatory efforts. A little investigating in and around Omega pointed me to some sort of a protest that was being organized by a joint-committee of batarian mercenaries.”

“On the surface, it all sounded like a pretty fair and legitimate demonstration. Batarians of all caste, color, political leaning, even ties to disparate mercenary groups, all invited to stand up against an act of great injustice against their people. However, the committee that organized the whole thing had more violent things planned. So I patrolled the location of their protest, and uncovered a string of disturbing things: several large vehicles carrying volatile chemicals into unsupervised areas, break-ins at some nearby facilities, several disappearances, and just an uncharacteristic number of batarians - suspicious-looking ones, at that - in an area of high human population … lots of stuff that made the whole thing not feel right.”

“Then I caught on; those chemicals were going to be used to set up a few explosions around the area and altogether spread some sort of toxic smog that would linger in the area and perhaps spread further out. And it would only be the first in a string of many similar attacks by them. I sabotaged some of their equipment, secured the area for the local law-enforcement’s special forces to come in and remove the dangerous materials they were using, and discovered the whereabouts of the budding terrorist group’s leadership – a trio of batarians, each representing one of the big-three Omega gangs. As luck would have it, they were there to oversee the operation and witness their first act of vengeance. When they heard their plans had been foiled, they fled, but I caught the Eclipse and Blue Suns batarian reps. Both were defiant and vicious, but neither of them resisted arrest.”

“And the Blood Pack’s?” Jack asked, naturally.

“Slipped away,” Kaidan responded, “but I followed, tracking him down to a hideout on some planet called Lorek with the few other batarians that had gotten away. I got in, took out his henchmen with no real difficulty and then had him cornered, but he resisted arrest and fought tooth-and-nail… literally.”

“That was one tough S.O.B. We were in tight quarters, he had brass knuckles on and these blades that he fired out of his omnitool that did a number on my armor. He was thoroughly kicking my ass until I got an idea. I’d lost my feet and he sensed that I was vulnerable. He lunged at me, trying to finish me off, but I rolled over and used my biotics to reave him and get back some juice. While he was crippled by the aftereffect, I just stepped up and stuck my pistol up against his neck, bypassing his shield and killing him instantly. I felt like a walking bruise when it was all over, though. Hip hurt for that whole month as well.”

“… So that would have to be the toughest 1-on-1 fight I was ever involved in.”

“Damn!” Jack responded, impressed. “Gotta admit, Major, I didn’t expect you to have these many good war stories. You should share them more often.”

“Heh,” Kaidan responded bashfully, shrugging. “To be honest, I’m not real big on bringing attention to myself or anything. I just prefer to keep a low profile. Now that I’m leading a team on an important mission, I kinda have to accept having all eyes on me. I can live with it for now, but, don’t go looking for me to do too many interviews with the press or publish books about it when this is all over.”

Jack chuckled. “Maybe not,” she said, “but you’re alright in my books.”

“Glad to hear that,” said Kaidan, humbled and smiling.

“Oh shit!” Jack exclaimed. “It’s been almost two hours now that we’ve been at this?”

“Damn,” Kaidan responded in disbelief. “Wow, yeah I totally lost track of time.”

“Well you’ve probably got to go, then,” said Jack. “Too bad, I really wanted to hear your response to my next one.”

“Yeah,” said Kaidan, “well, er… okay, maybe we can do one more.”

“Really? Awesome! Alright, here it is: your best _biotic_ kill.”

Kaidan grinned, laying back a bit, and then replied to the new topic….


	12. The Plant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am nearing the end of this work. Some edits of the work in full will be required, such as the removal of these notes, and revisions of the many chapters that I rushed out.

James was hard at work on the computer terminal at his post and missed the soft brushing sound of the elevator doors opening. Sneaking up from behind, Jack suddenly put her hands over his eyes.

“Guess who!”

“What the-? Hey!”

Jack then moved her left arm over his eyes while reaching over for his computer mouse with her right. Just as James unwrapped her arm off of his head, Jack situated herself at the keyboard, typed something in hurriedly and then bounced away snickering. Vega took a look at his screen and discovered an explicit image of a turian and krogan male in intimate position.

“Aw that’s nasty, Lola!” said James, clicking frantically out of the window. James left his spot and walked over to where she stood idly in the middle of the room. “And what’re you doing down here?”

“I was just plugging some tracks on my playlist,” she replied while stretching an arm up overhead, “and got the itch to move around a little bit.”

“You mean-” James responded as Jack queued the desired songs Harmonically and began playing the music from her omnitool. “You mean dance. Down here?” Jack winked and started slowly moving to the intro of her first selection. Surprised, James looked around, noting only few other Alliance personnel in the area, most of whom had directed their attention to the two of them. At that moment, James saw a worthwhile opportunity.

“Alright, Lola,” he said, “I’m in.” James turned to the rest of the crewmen in the room and hollered, “Ey, amigos! Get on the dance floor and get a little loco with us!!”

A couple of enthused onlookers joined into the action, and one-by-one, the rest of the nearby crewmen followed them. Jack and James were at the center of this improvised dance-party, getting down to the pounding rhythm of the music, as were the Alliance personnel around them. This was perfect, thought James. Some dancing and some good music together was a great way to work off some stress, and clearly their fellow crewmen appreciated the opportunity to do so…

… and then there was Jack.

James could not keep dancing without sneaking over a glance at her every few seconds. Her body moved so effortlessly, fluid as water while she twisted and turned in flexuous patterns. Losing track of the time completely, Jack’s omnitool played the last note of her mix before he knew it. With their party over, the crowd slowly dissolved as the Alliance crewmen left the 'floor and returned to their posts in high spirits, but Jack finished differently, abandoning all gracefulness and suddenly throwing herself into James’s arms laughing heartily, almost endlessly. As he felt Jack’s petite frame leaning into his larger body and held her, James felt strangely - skin turning hot, gut filling with butterflies and his cheeks flushing while managed an awkward, confused smile. Jack finally pulled herself back together a few moments later and got out of his stiff hold, sighing.

“I love the dance,” she said to him. “All the passion, all the emotions, and channeling all that into smooth, rhythmic movement. I love it. I love every second of it.”

“Yeah,” said James, enthused and fumbling for the words in his response, “nice to just cut loose, blow off a little steam, you know?”

“You know,” said Jack, “your dancing kinda reminds me of Shepard’s…”

“Ouch!” replied James.

“You’re blushing!”

“Heh,” James responded sheepishly. “Well, yeah. Pretty girl like you? Can’t help myself.” Just playful flirting on the surface, but James meant more of it than he let on, and he was well aware of it here.

“Ahh,” Jack sighed again, “that was great. ‘Really needed it.” Turning and walking away, she called out to him. “See ya around, Jimmy,” she said, and left as the elevator carried her away. James looked on from afar - hot, sweaty, and energized, though not entirely sure how much of that was from the dance, and how much from Jack.  


* * *

  
After spending the first half of his day on mundane Council and Alliance paperwork, Major Alenko planned out and authorized the team’s next mission. Chasing their second lead on the batarians’ new reigning regime, an assault on a nearby, League-controlled power-plant would be their next move. There, they would restore power to all areas of the island that had been cut off, including the settlements where the resistance had set up camp, and also further investigate the League’s movements.

Kaidan sent word, and the squad assembled at his command before they altogether departed via shuttles. On the way to the facility, Kaidan contacted the rebel chief Saheer and gave him an update. Saheer’s image appeared on the shuttle comm-terminal monitor.

“Saheer," said Major Alenko, speaking into the terminal, "I’m en route to the local power-plant right now.”

“Good,” Saheer replied. “As you know, we need you to restore the electricity and running water to our area. Or everywhere, really. Getting all of that back would help us in more ways than one, but it would also mean no more moving around. Once we get our equipment set up, we’re holding our position for good.”

“Did you read over that report I sent you?” asked Kaidan. “The League knew you were hiding from them and where. All that stopped them from attacking you guys was the mega-krogan experiment, which they were planning to test by unleashing it on you.”

“Yes, I caught that detail.”

“Maybe our actions at the manufactory caused a hiccup in their operations,” Kaidan suggested, “and we might buy you a little more time with this one too, but once they recover, you have to expect that they will come after you guys.”

“You’re right,” Saheer concurred. “And we are preparing for that. However weak we might be, though, they will still send most of their forces in the area over at us, opening up a window for you to get inside their headquarters. Stopping their army will be helpful, but if we really want to finish the League, we need to kill or capture their leadership.”

“And then?” asked Kaidan.

“And then we build a new, responsible government,” replied Saheer, “… and hope your council will be as reasonable as you have been.”

“I’ll put in a good word,” Kaidan pledged, “let them know how you helped us and took a risk.”

“Thank you. We will be awaiting your successful completion. Out.”

As the line cut out, Major Alenko heard cannonfire akin to that of the Kodiak’s own batteries just before their shuttle pulled over by the power-plant entrance. Kaidan and his team stepped out and met up with James’s squad.

“Caught some guards on our approach that spotted us,” James explained, “I used the Kodiak’s guns to take ‘em out, ‘case you were wondering what the noise was all about.”

Kaidan shrugged. “I’m just glad you’re not using _the shuttle_ as a weapon anymore.”

“The day is young,” a nonchalant James countered.

“Alright. James, I’m sending you up through here, the main entrance, but EDI has also identified a few backdoors we can infiltrate from. My team will enter through one of them and meet you guys somewhere in the middle.”

“Two fronts,” James acknowledged. “Good plan. See you there, boss.”  


* * *

  
Armed with his Cyclone machine gun, James and his squad broke in through the front, and the N7 commander probed his headset’s ocular-processor Harmonically, which gave him a look at his surroundings in virtual-space, where real time slowed to a crawl. Through this effect, James processed outside stimuli at superhuman speeds for a short time, giving him the effect of time-dilation. In virtual-space, James spotted five armed batarian guards right off the bat as he would in real time, but further examination revealed two more hostiles using advanced night-vision technology, one using a tactical cloak and one hiding behind the cover of a large apparatus for the plant’s temperature controls.

With this upgrade in effect, James aimed his Cyclone at the leftmost enemy, fired off shots and moved right with no wasted motion, making every bullet hit as he mowed down all hostiles in sight sooner than they could make a dent in his shields. As the lone remaining survivor stayed in cover, waiting to take him by surprise as he crossed, James carefully approached the hostile batarian’s position with his shotgun. To negate the enemy’s advantage, James used his upgrade once again to to move into position, line up the perfect shot, and fire. In real time, James stormed the crouching batarian guard’s position and blew the enemy's head off before he could get out of his stance.

Commander Vega relished in the effects of his processor and its partner software app, Bullet Time. With its assistance, James felt like an indomitable special-agent akin to those he’d seen in the vids, such as his favorite, Leo, from the sci-fi thriller Digital Rain. What really stroked Vega’s ego was that his success with this upgrade was singular. Other Alliance marines trained in basic Harmonics had great difficulty adapting Bullet Time and often the results were messy. It relied on the skill of its user, priming his or her nervous system to move reflexively and thus required nothing less than a true master at firearms to make it pop. Commander Vega was good without the app. With it, he had a huge leg-up on his opponents and was downright lethal.

Ahead of them were the doors that muffled the sound of running engines. “Likely the turbine or generators up ahead, commander,” Ninju alerted him.

“Everyone get ready,” said James, taking cover beside the door as it opened and Harmonically activating the rest of the upgrade devices in his armorsuit. Once prepared, Commander Vega led the way as they altogether walked in. James saw nothing at first, marching forward into a massive area with large generator engines occupying the middle and narrow paths of concrete floor to walk though, but then he heard movement overhead. On the catwalks above, many an armed guard were scrambling to get down and stop them, including four that leapt off the platform and landed in his immediate area. Just as they hit the ground, James used Bullet Time to react, taking out two hostiles immediately with his shotgun, then taking another one head-on and knocking him out with a powerful blow from his fists - aided by the Pommel upgrades in his suit for added melee-damage - before the effect wore off. The Perception upgrade then alerted James to the fourth enemy attempting to take him from behind. James turned around readily clotheslined him with his forearm, knocking the batarian down hard on his back and affording James time to reload and finish off both fiends.

About a dozen more guards made it down to confront James and his squad. Ninju and Javik took care of half of them, then Jack dashed right up in front of them and brought down bone-crushing biotic power upon them from her lashes’ Smash attack, scattering their now-dead bodies about like struck bowling pins while blood fountained out from the center of the impact point. Apart from the steady hum of the generators, the room fell silent again.

“That never gets old,” Jack remarked.

“Clear,” Javik reported.

“Hey,” Jack murmured, picking something off of a dead guard’s body. “Got a datapad here.”

Jack handed the ‘pad to James, who examined its contents.

> Subject: Oculus.
> 
> Preliminary results have been excellent. The Oculus is everything we’ve hoped for and, in time, could be more. With the power of the artifacts, they can now disable incoming spacecraft. I finally understand the League’s choice for relocation: Jaxier provides small enough ground to cover with just the dozen Oculi we have flying above. As a result, the island has become nigh-inaccessible to outsiders. Oculi can spot ships using stealth drives, and no modern spacecraft is equipped to defend against what they can do. We’ve caught all sorts of spy ships trying, but none have been able to get past this invisible barrier, not even those pesky lizards in the STGs. The League has wisely commissioned additional models to be built.
> 
> Given more research and development, however, we could actually use them to take direct control of any size ship. An incoming invasion could potentially turn into a massive haul for our growing naval fleet. It’s all just theory at the moment, but the theories have bore fruit up to this point.

James shook his head. “This just gets better and better,” he said, stuffing the ‘pad into one of his pockets. “I’m sure Major Alenko will want to see this, though.”

“Control room at our nine, Commander,” Ninju reported. “We may be able to get electric power back online where needed from there.”

“Great," said James, "let’s check it out.”  


* * *

  
Kaidan’s team broke into an area of the plant with several large blue pipes around the room - protruding from the ground and walls - along with several active pumps.

“Has to be the water pumping station,” Miranda surmised.

“That makes sense,” said Liara, “we’re near the coast.”

“I can hear a low hum,” said Major Alenko, “gotta be either the main generator or propeller. Or both.”

“Or indoctrination,” said EDI.

“EDI…” said Liara.

Major Alenko examined the nearby pipes. Some were clearly running, while four others were distinguishably offline. Kaidan reasoned that these were connected to the water lines running outside the League-controlled regions. Spotting the valve on one pipe, Kaidan grasped and turned the rigid wheel steadily until he could feel the water running within, repeating the process again for the other three inactive pipelines. Once finished, he looked back at his squad and shrugged.

“That’s it?” asked Liara.

Saheer’s voice came in over the radio: “Major Kaiden, the water is running again at our camp!”

Kaidan grinned and nodded. “That’s it.”

“Kaidan,” said Miranda, approaching him with something in her hand. “Another datapad, take a look.” Kaidan took the ‘pad and looked it over.

> Subject: the artifacts.
> 
> The artifacts that the League recovered have proven a tremendous find. We’ve uncovered vast knowledge from them to create new wonders, but on top of that, each artifact emits some very powerful signal from within as if to keep itself protected from those who may seek to destroy it. What’s more, this signal can be paired to other machines, as we’ve done with the Oculi. You’ve seen the effects - no trespassers since we’ve relocated to Jaxier.
> 
> But it doesn’t stop there. Our science team has found that their effects can be amplified further yet. Instructions on the process were provided through the artifacts themselves. The League has taken most of them back to their headquarters and created small labs where they are being charged to reach extraordinary levels of power. To give you an idea, think: enough power to down Reaper capital-ships entering our sphere… all at once.
> 
> The rebels think we’ve cut off the power just to weaken them, and dampen their morale. Cute, but we can kill them all right now anyway. We need that power in the labs, for the machines charging up the artifacts -- they require a lot of juice. Crippling our enemy is just an added bonus.
> 
> The Reaper War decimated the aliens’ armies. We lost the most, but after tirelessly rebuilding our military while the aliens focused on rebuilding their planets, we’ve quietly amassed a naval force that could overwhelm the less-dominant species of the galaxy. The artifacts, however, have given us an edge that no other species can boast, and can make up for what our fleets lack next to those of the turians, salarians, and the thrice-damned humans. If they think sending in their new “peace-keeping” army to sit on our planet will pacify us, they’ve got another thing coming.

Major Alenko’s jaw dropped as he finished reading. “What have you found?” Liara queried, seeing his reaction.

“Those artifacts,” Kaidan explained, “the batarians have weaponized it. Or, maybe the artifacts themselves are glorified weapons. Whatever the case, they’ve been powering them up, and believe they can set up some sort of defense system that could even bring down incoming Reapers.”

“*Guardians,” EDI corrected him.

“Then the council should just bomb them back to the stone age,” said Miranda. “Problem solved.”

“Miranda!” Liara responded in horror. “That would kill thousands and thousands of innocents.”

“And what will the batarians do with this manner of power on their hands?” Miranda shot back.

“Well it’s a moot point,” said Kaidan, “this thing isn’t planetside. Those Oculi we encountered are part of some elaborate aerial defense system designed to keep intruders out. Any ship in close enough proximity can be disabled and taken down with some sort of signal beam, they claim the effects of which cannot be countered.”

“Bullshit,” Miranda declared. “Everything has a weakness.”

“I believe Miss Lawson is correct,” EDI commented. “Standard ships do not typically have an AI on board, and thus lack the complex software suite of the Normandy’s. Though the Oculus disabled our ship as we approached Jaxier and almost brought us down, Jeff’s improvised backup allowed us to restore some systems and regain enough control for an emergency landing with minimal damage. We now know what to expect and can prepare accordingly.”

“Prepare how?” asked Kaidan.

“As you know, Major, the combination of a benign VI in Harmony with an organic can negate mind-control effects like that of indoctrination,” said EDI. “Similarly, an organic in Harmony with an AI creates an unintentional barrier that effectively blocks outside forcible-control attempts. Quite simply, I need to be operating in Harmony with another crew member. Jeff would be most appropriate for this role.”

“Wouldn’t that distract him from piloting?” asked Liara.

“No,” Miranda replied. “In our research, we found that Harmonics require negligible amounts of brain activity in real time.”

“And what’s done in virtual-space takes place within fractions of a second,” Major Alenko added, “not even close to enough time to be a distraction. Without access to EDI’s systems, the Normandy should be immune to the Oculi’s disabling effect -- perfect!”

Kaidan couldn’t help but smile a bit, and noticed that Miranda was also grinning back at him.  


* * *

  
Inside the control room, Ninju stood at a panel with the switches to all power lines on the island’s grid, and interacted with a computer console to determine where the electrical current needed to be restored. Jack and Javik were at the door standing watch for hostiles. James was overseeing Ninju’s work when his eyes wandered off and spotted another datapad at a desk nearby, which he picked up and examined for further clues. He flipped through its entries and scanned them over briefly, finding little information of significance, save for one entry near the end…

> What the hell happened to Makyrs? Last few times I’ve talked to him, he would go brain-dead, lapsing in and out of consciousness. One moment, he’s normal. The next, he’s babbling like an idiot.

And the final…

> Blatant cronyism, the League getting fat off their power, spreading the wealth only among themselves and their richest sponsors. All of the progressive reforms and government programs they had promised, gone, just to fuel these idiots’ own greed. And that’s the least of it. Ordering the army to open fire on its own citizens who dare to ask where the money went, leading officials dragging women into their compounds screaming? Seems like Makyrs is not all there anymore. He’d have never stood for this abuse of power, but whatever’s wrong with him, his associates have taken advantage of it to run amok.
> 
> Not what I fought for. I am leaving this, joining the resistance. This regime became the very thing we sought to destroy. If I die as I am expecting, it’ll be worth it for every corrupt Leaguer I bring with me.

“Huh,” James responded, deactivating the ‘pad and slipping it into another side-pocket.

“Commander,” said Ninju. “I can restore electricity to the rest of the island. Encryption is advanced, but override will just take seconds in real time. Just give the word.”

“Go for it,” James affirmed.

“… Done,” informed the volus.

“Hey, and why don’t you cut the League HQ’s supply for good measure, Shorty?” James suggested. “Let those bastards get a taste of their own medicine.”

“… Done!”

Ninju characteristically inhaled deeply and added: “Also, the power-grid gives us something of a working map of the area, with lines that seem to form a clear path through the indigenous jungle area that the League has hidden their headquarters behind. Downloading the images now.”

Commander Vega nodded and notified Major Alenko over the radio. “Rocco,” said James, “the power’s back online, and we’ve got a map that we think can help us navigate that jungle you were talking about.”

“And we took care of the water issue,” Kaidan replied. “Good work, all. Looks like we’re done here. Sending you the NavPoint of your nearest exit now. We’re heading for the same one and will likely meet you guys on the way out.”

“Good news, Major,” Joker announced over the squad’s radio. “The Normandy’s back in flying shape.”

“Awesome,” Kaidan responded. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Together, Kaidan and his team moved through a dark corridor and into a boiler room where they met up with James’s squad just before the exit. Suddenly they were taken by surprise as armed batarian guards appeared from all corners of the room and surrounded them with a force that more than doubled their own.

“That’s it, aliens!” said the apparent leader of the pack angrily. “We know you’ve been helping the rebel scum. This ends now!!”

Just before the commander had spoken his last word, Major Alenko had his plan of battle formulated in the virtual space through Commodore's Dashboard app and his squad stood ready with their orders. Immediately, Liara erected her protective biotic sphere around all of them, which was regulated by her VI, Glyph, in Harmony with her mind such that she could draw power from it to attack enemies and protect allies. On the defensive, it imbued party members with weakening kinetic shields with light biotic barriers, reduced the damage of incoming projectiles, and blocked all tech and biotics attacks from without. On the offensive, it had a debilitating effect on enemies that passed through, hit these trespassers enemies with light warp fields that helped open weak spots in their armor, and in so doing could detonate or prime biotic explosions upon these fiends. Additionally, weapons firing from within that passed through the barrier were encases in Warp-fields that granted additional damage. All the while, Liara had her Phalanx pistol equipped and pitched in.

Major Alenko and Commander Vega faced opposite sides and opened fire with their assault rifles, Vega tapping his Bullet Time app to mow down with perfect accuracy and overwhelming responsiveness, and Alenko taking cover behind a hex-shield and weakening enemy defenses while fortifying his own and firing away. Jack and EDI provided aid to James and Kaidan respectively, hitting their enemies' flank as they were distracted. Miranda checked the squad’s power usage and helped prime and set off detonating effects across the area. Ninju provided SMG fire while sticking close to his shield-regenerating pylon, and harassed the battlefield with his drone -- through which he zapped the enemies, marked weak spots on their armor, sapped omnitools and biotic amps, and also provided volatile electrical bursts by detonating the drone, respawning it again later.

Though the enemy fought to their last breaths and had proven tougher than any other group Kaidan and the gang had faced before, they were simply no match for the combined power of the Normandy fireteam in full force and working in perfect harmony. 9.03 seconds, and the fight was all over.

“Well… he was right about it ending now,” Miranda pointed out.

“Yeah,” said Kaidan with a wry smile. “It did at that.”  


* * *

  
Major Alenko patched in Saheer over the shuttle’s comm-terminal.

“Major,” Saheer reported. “I can confirm that electric power and running water are back on. I cannot thank you enough for that. On top of setting up that automated defense system, the mechs, and recharging the batteries on our electronic devices, getting back the water is no small comfort. It’s humid out here and we never felt good about going to the coast with our men, so this is the first time in a long while that many of them even got to bathe. We might all die tomorrow, but today, we’re feeling like free, dignified men again.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” said Major Alenko, a little humbled, though the feeling of victory quickly faded as he realized the end it spelled for his allies. “So… this is it then, huh? The League is probably pissed and will come for you.”

“More than likely, major, yes,” Saheer replied darkly, but unperturbed. “But as you know, our battle with their army is not the key to our victory. We need someone to storm their headquarters while the army has been drawn away and kill or capture their leadership, cutting off the beast’s head to kill it for good. Will I have to send my own men, or can I count on your support to finish them?”

Kaidan hesitated to answer, feeling the weight of this decision as both Saheer and his own squad listened for his ruling. However, Major Alenko was slowly coming to a conclusion on what needed to be done.

“I will tell you,” Kaidan answered diplomatically, “but you have to let me talk it over with my squad, first. It would not be fair to them for me to commit to anything without warning, please understand.”

“We cannot afford the delay,” Saheer insisted. “If we must send in our own, I have to be ready to do it now. For all I know, the League’s army is on its way as we speak!”

“Then,” said Kaidan, “then do what you have to. Get your own team prepared. Call them back if they’re not needed. I am not making a move without going through my ‘brain trust’ first, for my own good and yours.”

“Fine,” said Saheer, slightly irked, “but remember, if the League isn’t stopped, then any support we’d have given you for removing them goes with us.”

“I understand,” said Kaidan. “You’ll have an answer soon. I promise.”

Saheer shook his head and cut the line.

“You hear that, James?” Kaidan asked over the radio.

“We heard,” James confirmed. “It’s your decision, Major. What’s it gonna be?”

“You’ve seen the intel we gathered,” said Kaidan, addressing his squad altogether. “The League’s abuses, what they’ve done to their own people, is one thing. What we’ve uncovered, though, points to something even bigger than their planet. If we leave this threat unchecked, I think we will all be sorry. When the League moves on the rebels, I want our squad to strike at their headquarters and capture their leadership, hand them over to the council. Let the people start over, and this time, make sure the council gets involved and insures that the next administration is on the same side as the rest of our galaxy. And while I realize our first priority is the best interest of the galaxy, the batarian people deserve better. This is simply the right thing to do for a species that has been neglected for so long.”

“And this squad,” he added, “you guys have been everything I could have asked for in a team and your support has meant so much to me. Whatever comes next, I want us to be doing it together. I cannot think of anyone else I’d rather be doing this with. … So who’s with me??”

“I stand with our Major,” said James over the radio, “And, as second-in-command of this mission, I want to see everyone on this squad throw their support behind the man who’s done one hell of a job running this show. I am in this thing ‘til the end.”

“Kaidan,” said Miranda, “I’m with you.”

“And I as well,” said Liara.

“Always,” said EDI.

“Definitely,” said Ninju.

“HELL yeah!” said Jack.

“And I got a nod from Javik,” reported James. “We’re behind your decision, Major, 100%.”

“Thanks, guys,” said Major Alenko, very humbled once more. “Our path ahead is clear: stop the League here and now, before they threaten the peace of the galaxy. We’re on standby. As soon as the League army moves on the rebels, our mission is a go. Everyone, go get some rest as soon as we are back on the Normandy. That’s an order.”

“Understood,” James responded over the radio. “Team Vega out.”

What lay ahead was perhaps their squad’s greatest challenge yet, but right now, Kaidan felt on top of the world.

 


	13. The Battle of Jaxier

In the solitude of his cabin, Major Alenko sat at his desk and stared at a datapad onto which he had written up an official document for the Council. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doors behind him opening. Kaidan turned back to see Miranda walking in.

“Kaidan,” she said tenderly. “How are you holding up?”

Kaidan looked back at his datapad, then handed it to her. Miranda looked it over.

“An arrest warrant,” she noted, “for League chairman Makyrs, the Batarian People’s League board and all associates.”

“I need to stop this man,” said Kaidan coldly. “The batarian state may still be rogue, but untested alien technology is a serious offense, and I don’t want to find out what he’s planning to do with it. Besides that, the leadership needs to answer for what it’s done to their own people, even if the council isn’t supposed to involve themselves in those affairs.”

“Have you sent reports to the council?” she asked, handing him back the datapad.

“I have.”

“What have they said?”

“Not much,” Kaidan replied. “Didn’t get back to me on my last one yet. Just told me to be discrete and not to reveal their involvement.”

“Typical,” Miranda said cynically. “But for what it’s worth, I agree with you. This regime is resolved to become another menace. We cannot let that happen. The old Hegemony was enough trouble, for humanity and many others.” Kaidan looked off for a bit and then felt Miranda’s hand on his shoulder. “We’re behind you, Major. 100%.”

Kaidan smiled and placed his hand on hers. “But you didn’t come here just to talk.”

“No,” she said sassily. “I was hoping you could indulge me with a more comfortable bed for the night, what with the big day ahead of us. Those bunks in the crew quarters do no favors for the back.”

“I can give you that,” said Kaidan, getting out of his seat and playing along. “And it sounds like you could use a little stress relief.” The two of them stood together intimately close.

“Oh? What exactly do you have in mind?”

Kaidan chortled softly, but quickly turned more serious. “I don’t want you to feel like this is just about us laying together, though,” he said, “because this moment means more to me than that. You mean more than that to me, Miranda. It’s easy to see your beauty, your brains, and all the exceptional stuff about you and be impressed. But then, there’s what I feel. The way I get lost in thought whenever I hear your voice. The way that, when we’re alone together like now, I feel this passion for you burning like a fire inside me. I’m not just attracted to you, Miranda… I’m in love. Head-over-heels. And tonight? Tonight would mean the world to me.”

Miranda beamed, sincerely flattered. “I- … thank you,” she said. “And you, Kaidan, have been everything I could have hoped for, and more.” Staring at each other with the stars in their eyes, Kaidan and Miranda shared a long, impassioned kiss.

Next, the door console went red, and the cabin lights went out.

* * *

 

Just over seven hours after lights-out on the ship, the Normandy squad and crew were back on the clock. The crewmen were at their posts and the fireteam had assembled in the conference area between the CIC and the war room, awaiting word from the rebel chief, Saheer. The League army had not yet attacked, and Major Alenko pledged his squad’s support in confronting the enemy leaders at their headquarters, allowing Saheer to keep all of his men back at their settlement. In the meantime, they reviewed the intel they’d discovered along the way.

“Alliance protocol on recovering alien tech is very clear,” Major Alenko explained to his squad. “Determine the safety using remotely-controlled devices. Spawning a drone to take the readings is a safe way to do it. In Harmony, a user can see through the drone, revealing emissions and other things that cannot be detected with the naked eye.” Privately, Kaidan lost his train of thought at the word “naked” in favor of some images in his head from last night. He hated when Alliance regs had a point.

“I am more interested in this little bit about the party chairman losing his head,” James commented. “You think those artifacts had something to do with it?”

“Reaper indoctrination,” Javik declared. “Those artifacts have to be of their creation. What else could stir up such chaos, reveal the knowledge that they’ve recovered? The batarians are simply a proxy for the real threat.”

“Your paranoia is unfounded,” EDI retorted. “Unlike you, I have actually communicated with the Guardian collective. All of them are committed to preserving the legacy of their respective species. None are interested in conflict or dominance.”

“And you believe that they would share such plans if they did, machine?” Javik countered. “Either you really are conspiring with them in secret, or your systems are more glitched than we thought.”

“Alright,” said Major Alenko, “that’ll be enough from you two. Whatever the true explanation for what’s going on here, we’ll get to the bottom of it, but let’s remember we’re all on the same side here.”

Javik and EDI continued staring back at each other antagonistically for a few moments, but agreed to drop the topic altogether and returned to the task at hand.

“What can you tell us about the headquarters we’ll be infiltrating?” asked Ninju.

“Not much,” Kaidan admitted, “but, thanks to you, we do have a way to safely navigate the indigenous jungle region before it. On top of-”

At that very moment, Saheer’s voice came in over the radio they’d patched into over their omnitools.

“Major!” he exclaimed. “We’re under attack. Actually, it began not long ago. They surprised us and I could not get back and alert you ahead of time.”

“Alright,” said Major Alenko promptly. “Then we’re off.”

“Wait!” said Saheer. “We… might be needing your help.”

Some looks were exchanged in the conference room and Kaidan raised an eyebrow. “Help?” he asked.

“We held off the first wave of enemies,” Saheer explained. “Except, we lost two of the commandos leading our men. None of these other guys will cut it, and we’ve gotten disorganized. I was hoping you can send at least one of your people - though, two would be ideal - to help lead our forces and get it back together.”

Miranda’s face wrinkled in disgust and she responded, “You said your fight was irrelevant. Our job was to take out the League’s leadership and that remains priority, not you.”

“I know,” said Saheer. “But what if we fall too quickly? You might not have enough time to carry out your end of the mission and get cornered by the League’s army, too great a force even for your team to handle.”

“Then abort the mission altogether,” said Miranda to Major Alenko. “It’s not worth throwing our lives away. The Council can try to rectify this failure again later another day.”

“Listen,” said Saheer. “We’ll make do without if we have to. We held off the first wave fine, just lost the men I had leading these two groups. This fight may not be as hopeless as we previously thought, Major, we just need a little support. If you can spare anyone from your ship that has experience in command, we can hold them, maybe even turn the tide!”

“Among our squad,” EDI said to Major Alenko, “you, James, and Miranda are the only ones qualified for the assistance the rebel chief is asking for. Obviously, you will be leading the assault on the League’s headquarters, and thus are not an option.”

“You are forgetting the one with more years of experience in command than the three of them have years of life,” Javik reminded her.

Miranda shook her head. “I don’t believe him. He’s trying to save his own men, or something, but most likely kidding himself about his odds whatever the reason. Do not send anyone, Major.”

Suddenly, James spoke up. “I can do it.”

“What??” Major Alenko responded, incredulous.

“Commander,” said Miranda, “if the rebels fall, you will likely go down with them, and all the data we’ve recovered says that they are outmatched - even with what we managed to recover for them.”

“And it would take something, someone, truly exceptional to turn it around for them,” said Commander Vega. “That’s what N7 is all about. Send me over there, Rocco. I am ready.”

Kaidan stared at him and got that feeling in his gut. That same feeling he felt when he and Ashley went their separate ways on Virmire, when Shepard left him and the rest of the crew to go save Joker during the Collector attack on the original Normandy, and when Shepard called for med-evac and sent him to escort Javik back to the ship during The Battle for Earth. Reluctantly, Kaidan replied to Saheer over the radio.

“Saheer,” said Major Alenko, “I’m sending one of my men over.”

“No!” protested Jack. “James, you can’t do this! You can’t die for those idiot batarians. You-”

“Hey,” said James, reassuring. “I’ll be fine, Lola.” Jack fell silent, but his words did nothing to quell her worry.

“And I will go as well,” Javik announced.

“Javik??” Kaidan replied, even more shocked yet.

“I am committed,” he said. “It was you who compared these rebels and their struggle to that of this galaxy’s fight against the Reapers, and if they are also behind this as I suspect, all the more reason. I will see to it that these batarians succeed, Mayjah.”

Kaidan, wide-eyed in disbelief, spoke to Saheer over the radio again. “Well, you’re a lucky man today, chief. Another one of my squad has volunteered. You’re getting both of your reinforcements.”

“Thank you!!” Saheer responded, ever so thankful. “When the men see this, oh, you have no idea what it will do for them. You have my eternal gratitude, Major Alenko.”

“Just make sure it is worth it,” said Kaidan over the radio . “I am making a big sacrifice by sending you two of my men to impossible odds, both on a personal and practical level.”

“Not impossible,” Saheer insisted. “We have a shot. I can see it. Thank you again, Major. Thank you so much.”

Kaidan shook his head and cut the line, turning and facing James and Javik.

“Well, you heard the chief. The League army is moving on the rebels. We’ve got our window to break into their headquarters and confront the men in charge of all of this. James, Javik, you volunteered to assist the rebels and we may need to help them to buy the rest of us more time at League HQ, so I am not going to overrule your decision. Just… ah, hell. Everyone, to the shuttles. Let’s get this thing over with.”

As the rest of the team walked out of the conference room one by one, James and Javik both stayed behind and waited to get out last, taking a moment with each of their fellow squadmates while going their separate ways.

“Javik,” said Liara, “be careful.”

“It is as it should be,” Javik replied, “Liara T’Soni.”

“You were not what I was expecting,” said Liara, reflecting on their time together, “but the opportunity to meet one of your people in you, Javik, I would not trade that for anything.”

Javik nodded, stoically. Liara wondered if it meant anything to him as well, but was used to not knowing. Javik could not be read. Liara looked on at him for a while longer as she walked on out.

“Javik,” said Major Alenko. “Just want you to know that fighting at your side has been a highlight of my military career.”

“And it was an honor to fight alongside the young,” Javik replied with what looked like a faint smile, and maybe even approval. “I envy what your cycle has, even if I am not convinced of its foundation. You will sort this out in time, however. Though I doubted, you have proven yourself capable, and have a bright future ahead if you survive the events.”

“Thanks, Javik. That means a lot.”

The two of them shook hands, and Major Alenko moved on to James.

“James,” said Kaidan. “What the hell, man. Did you hit your head getting out of bed this morning?”

James chuckled. “Well then I wouldn’t be the only one who hit something before I got up today!”

“Oh, ouch. I see what you did,” Kaidan came back, but the levity of the moment was short lived. “Really, though. This situation right now feels so much like Virmire. You remember what I told you about that? If I’m right, well, then it means that this is the last I’m seeing you.”

“Maybe,” said James, “maybe not. I’m not planning on getting killed out there, Major, but if this is the end for me, well, I’ve already done so much more than I’d ever imagined possible. Seeing the galaxy, helping save Earth, graduating N7…. I can look back at all that stuff and be proud, but only because I accepted the challenge of doing them. What N7 taught me more than anything is that when you impress yourself, it’s time raise the bar.”

For a few seconds, Major Alenko was speechless, then nodded and clasped hands with James.

“It’s been an honor, Commander Vega.”

“Likewise, Major Alenko. Go get ‘em.”

All had left the room save for Jack, who stayed behind for James and looked at him with genuine worry in her eyes.

“Jimmy,” she said. “Don’t go. You can’t.”

“Hey,” James whispered tenderly. “It’ll be okay, Lola. I’ll be fine.”

Jack’s worried gaze fell to the floor before looking back at him. She sighed.

“I- … just, ….” At a loss, Jack shook her head and suddenly grabbed James’s head, bringing it right up against her own and giving him a long, hard smackaroo across the lips before finally letting go. James looked back at her, gobsmacked by this abrupt and unexpected display of affection. “Dammit,” she said. “You’d better come back alive! If you die, I’m gonna kill you.”

James laughed it off. “You’re crazy, Lola.” With two beefy fingers of his large hands, James turned Jack’s face to his, chin up, and said, “Jack, it’ll be okay.”

Jack stepped back, staring back at him distantly before walking out. James stood alone in the conference room for a few moments more before heading down to the hangar bay.

* * *

James and Javik boarded one shuttle and headed out for the coast where the resistance had set up camp to make their stand against the League army. Major Alenko took the rest of the squad with him to the League headquarters. With the aid of the maps that the squad obtained from the League-controlled power plant, Major Alenko piloted the Kodiak safely through the Soumari Jungle that stood before the League headquarters. The shuttle VI had detected numerous aggressive animal species as well as poisonous flora that lay in the wild forest they passed, which explained why any attempt to cross it was a losing proposition for an unprepared traveler.

Along the way, Jack broke the silence in the shuttle.

“Hey Cheerleader, I noticed your bunk was empty last night…”

“Not another word,” Miranda responded.

“That was not hidden from me,” EDI pointed out.

“Nor would it have been from the ship’s resident info-broker,” Liara said glibly.

“You are hardly one to judge, Jack,” said Miranda.

“Why, because I’ve done it myself?” Jack replied. “I think that makes the _best_ person to judge. So, how was it?”

Miranda planted her face in her palm and did not humor Jack further.

Once past the jungle, the League headquarters appeared - a fairly large and well-fortified complex marking the northernmost point on the island. On the ladar, Major Alenko spotted a pack of provisional guards standing at the gates of their stronghold. Kaidan fired off a couple shots from the shuttle’s cannon to clear the area, then pulled over and set the shuttle on the ground. Before they stepped out, Major Alenko got out of the pilot’s seat and faced them.

“Sending you guys an omnitool application,” he announced, “open and run the app - it blocks out effects that would compromise higher-cognitive processes, a.k.a. ‘brainwashing.’ Just a precaution for these artifacts. Our intel indicates that they’ve been holding them here and charging them up.”

Major Alenko opened the side door hatch, and together, the six of them stormed the entrance.

“Front’s our only way in,” Miranda noted, “by the looks of it.”

“Jack, Ninju - you two stay behind and stand watch for reinforcements,” ordered Major Alenko. “Do not take any chances; fall back and join up with us again if a big group is headed your way. Clear?”

“Diamond,” said Ninju, after inhaling deeply. “Or is it crystal? I can never remember human sayings. But, yes.”

“The rest of you, with me. We want these guys alive, but if they try anything stupid, well… then dead will have to do.”

EDI, Liara, Miranda and Major Alenko approached the League base entrance with Ninju and Jack at their rear. Kaidan used an ID acquired off of a slain League associate’s body to grant them passage.

* * *

A Normandy crewman piloted the shuttle carrying James and Javik to the resistance army’s camp site on the island’s east coast. Along the ride, James was lost in thought. Where he was headed now, the odds would say that he was going to end up dead, or captured. But, that wasn’t really on his mind right now. James’s thoughts just kept going back to Jack.

In truth, he had been thinking of her for some time. James spent a lot of time in the hangar bay, typically alone. Jack was one of the only ones who came down there between missions. James looked forward to those chats, those moments together. She was like no one else he knew, except for maybe the original Lola from back home. Didn’t think she cared, either - that was something. Getting killed, even getting captured by some ugly batarian bastards was a risk he accepted when he told Rocco he would help the rebels. It felt brave and heroic then. Now, he felt differently, like he would be letting her down if he did not win and come back alive. James was not planning to die before or anything, but now, he felt another reason not to leave anything on the ‘field. The rebels had their cause, their interests. James had something of his own to fight for, to earn the honor of going back to her again.

Commander Vega suddenly felt the shuttle losing momentum and pulling over, dropping them off beside the settlement before flying back to the ship. In anticipation of their arrival, two of Saheer’s men spotted them and readily led them to their chief. Saheer wasted no time before directing them.

“You’ve arrived!” he exclaimed, still surprised at the aid. “Good. Your timing is perfect. The next enemy horde is getting close. We have two groups that require command. One up on the north end, Liberty. The other, Justice, out on the south. You are both free to lead them however you see fit.”

“Status?” James asked obligatorily.

“Apart from the unfortunate loss of the commandos leading both teams, we suffered minimal losses in the League’s first attack. But if the League was just holding back before, then this battle is about to get a lot more painful.”

“Understood,” said James. “Alright, Buggy! Let’s go save the day.”

“Saving is not important,” said Javik. “I am here to bring vengeance down on this League.”

“Works for me,” said Saheer. “Now get to it, you have little time.”

* * *

Inside the League’s main base, Major Alenko and his squad encountered no armed resistance, just some League associates acting entirely strange. All of them seemed lost, aloof, and were even unresponsive at the sight of Major Alenko and his squad. Major Alenko ordered all such associates killed, as they posed an obvious security risk to their squad, and because the Normandy was barely equipped for them to capture all of the League’s ranking officials alive. None of these associates put up any real fight before his squad put them down.

It was evident that the vast majority, if not all, of the League’s henchmen had fled to confront the rebel army. Major Alenko periodically checked back on Ninju and Jack, but they reported no incoming enemy forces. With the time they were afforded, the four of them investigated the League’s base carefully and thoroughly. Lots of extraneous, irrelevant things were recovered, but Liara discovered an open computer terminal with what she believed to be vital information.

“Major,” said she, “take a look at this…”

Kaidan leaned over the computer terminal and started from where Liara had left off.

> Among all the classified files we recovered from the Batarian Hegemony’s security agencies, by far the most intriguing was the location of a Reaper-killer called “The Leaviathan of Dis.” Boss wanted answers, and after some digging, we successfully recovered some artifacts from the operation. We brought these artifacts - round, shining orbs with power you could feel just by standing near them - to a safe, League-controlled compound for study. Boss wanted to see it firsthand. It wasn’t until later that we discovered the artifacts’ effects on anyone too close to them. We suspect he’s been affected by whatever it is they do to people (indoctrination, maybe, but we are pretty sure this is not a Reaper device), but he continues to carry out his duties and run the government like he’s still fit to do it. We’re not sure what to do. Kicking him out would raise eyebrows with the public. Boss is still a war hero in their eyes, the revolutionary who championed a better path ahead for our people. Even if they see how strangely he’s been acting, they might just blame us for it.
> 
> At the moment, we’re hoping to secretly undo any damage the artifact may have left on him and hope that he really can keep it together enough to do his job.

Kaidan bit his lip, puzzled. “Indoctrination,” he said, “but not Reaper? Huh…” The major read on, pulling up a chair in front of the terminal.

> Boss Makyrs’s condition has not gotten better. Instead, he’s acting a little bit more crazy every day, and we have found no solution yet. His ineffectiveness at running the government has led some of his trusted advisers to corruption - stealing money from the treasury, accepting bribes in exchange for favors, and other frivolous things. Idiots have failed to cover their tracks and people are wondering now why the government programs Makyrs put into place are suddenly unable to do what they’ve been doing for people up to now. Naturally, some of our people organized. It was all very civil, but Makyrs got totally batty about it and ordered an attack. Some people described a fire in his eyes completely out-of-character for the revolutionary hero our people came to know and love.
> 
> After the incident our people and the press are now calling “The Capitol Bloodbath,” the people who helped install this new government are taking arms again and turning against us, including most of our own military. In response, Makyrs has ordered our move to the island Jaxier, knowing we will not be able to stand against it if and when the people attempt to overthrow us and start over. Jaxier, he says, provides a defensible location and the resources needed for our regime to rebuild in secret and take back control. His advisers agreed to follow him, mainly because I bet they’re scared of what will happen if they stick around for the brewing revolt.
> 
> Lots of our staff have been acting funny. We were supposed to contain the artifacts, and we have, but we’ve failed to contain the people affected by them. Now I suspect they’ve exposed others to the artifacts. I’m getting out of here while I can. Thee aw Shadow Broker’s agency has come to me, asking for information, but I cannot embarrass my people to the rest of the galaxy, nor will anyone else here.

Liara sighed. “How much trouble it could have saved us had he been willing,” she said.

“Hold on,” said Kaidan, “that’s not his last entry. There’s more…”

> I was wrong. I tried to defect, in fear of what became of my colleagues since the artifacts, but only now that I’ve touched it - touched the mind of their true masters - do I understand the goal. They caught me trying to flee, restrained and forced me into a room with the orb. I resisted, but w the master touched me with its mind. Now I see. Now I understand what must be done. They were the first, the true apex race of this galaxy, and we would be their well-endowed servants for restoring them to glory.

Pushing back his seat a little, “Oh god,” Kaidan responded, haunted.

* * *

When James joined up with his assigned company of rebel soldiers, they were already actively engaged with the League’s army. James equipped his shotgun and moved through the midst of the carnage, taking out various hostile Leaguers in his path. Once he found a spot on the field he liked, James swapped his Wraith for the Cyclone and got to work. As many angry batarians stormed in from the top of a far off hill, James opened fire alongside other riflemen and helped them stonewall the enemy. Some mechs appeared, marching in from behind them along with combat drones; they were friendly, and helped take the heat of off the rebel combatants. In addition, Vega also noticed some scattered turrets around the field, manned by rebel followers who did not look particularly fit for combat. He admired their dedication, finding ways to get involved at the risk of their own life, all for something that was bigger than themselves.

James’s machine-gun fired until its next clip was spent, taking down three more enemies in the process, and then loosed an incinerated high-velocity projectile from the underbarrel that tore through the last remaining League enemy’s armor and wounded him grievously before he was mercifully finished off by the crossfire. As the fight had momentarily ended, the surviving batarians approached Commander Vega eagerly.

“You- … you’re N7,” said one of the batarians, noting the logo stamped onto his chestplate and machine-gun, “like Shepard!”

“You invoke the name of a mass-murdering terrorist and revere it??” replied one of the other batarians in disgust. “Shepard killed untold thousands of our people!”

“Not the point,” said the first. “If that’s what N7s can do, then the alien’s aid is big for us.”

“And imagine what our enemy must think when they see that fighting alongside the rest of us,” pointed out another batarian astutely. “Do not discount the mental side of a war.”

“So that’s what the scared-shitless looks were all about,” said James wittily, drawing the laughter of various batarian allies. He shrugged and added, “Well, at least they had a decent excuse for that lame showing.”

“Stop,” said one of the rebel soldiers. “Any more from you, and I just may have to like a human!"

James snickered and continued getting chummy with his new batarian friends.

* * *

“Last entry of this journal,” said Kaidan, after restoring a corrupted file on the terminal.

> We are turning the tide. Our position on this island is defensible. Our orbs have turned many an enemy into allies. Our people from the Blue Suns have been an invaluable addition to our forces. We’ve called upon many of our associates from around the planet to gather here as we rebuild. They have not been brought to the masters, nor have our people in mercenary uniform. After we’ve secured victory, perhaps we will have them join us as well. We sense their suspicion of us, their fear that we’ve fallen into some kind of madness. I remember holding those suspicions and fear as well. In time, they will see as we do now, and will finally understand.

Throwing his head back a bit, stunned, Major Alenko again shook his head and then got out of his seat. “We need to get to the bottom of this.”

“I’ve scanned the area and all computer terminals thoroughly,” EDI reported. “Nothing else demands your attention. It appears that many of the League staff anticipated our arrival and began wiping out sensitive data or corrupting the devices.”

“Understood,” said Kaidan. “Let’s get outta here.”

* * *

On the other end of the battlefield, Javik walked into the thick of the fight with his trusty Particle Rifle and unleashed a beam of charged energy at League militants, taking out a handful of enemies. The rebel combatants that made up Justice team were crumbling fast, but Javik provided a splash with a biotic attack that sent a large, unstable sphere of biotic energy into the air that burst and hit all enemies in the area with armor-weakening warp fields - an effect that had been dubbed “downpour.” Javik then detonated the effects with one of his eezo grenades.

With his upgrade device, Javik’s biotics had direct effects on the targets’ nervous-system, allowing him to manipulate their very minds. Dark-channel was even more draining than before, steadily consuming weaker enemies and moving onto another with each kill. Additionally, Javik could render enemies defenseless with a sensory-overload attack that blinded and deafened them called “disorient,” and could turn them against their own allies in an effect called “dominate.” Within seconds upon his arrival, Javik had rejuvenated the rebel fighters of Justice as they watched the enemy lose their upper-hand and descend into chaos, lacking an answer to the dominant Prothean commander.

The batarians whom Javik had teamed with approached him with curious interest after they had cleared the area. “What are you??” asked one them.

“Do you live under a rock?” one of the others replied, “this is that Prothean who fought in the war! It was all over the extranet.”

“Should’ve known,” said another. “Looks like a Collector, those Prothean husks. I saw one myself when the Reapers hit us before I escaped for the Citadel.”

“And I saw thousands of them,” said Javik, “along with those of every other species in my cycle. You tell small children stories of monsters, but assure them that they are not real. When I was told these stories, those monsters would eventually appear before my very own eyes.”

When Javik looked at the batarians’ horrified faces, he could hear a voice in his head of an old friend telling him, “Not helping…”

“But do you realize why I tell you this?” Javik continued, changing his tone. “Because your cycle is proof that the very monsters that haunt you can be defeated. When the enemy is a raging wildfire, be a vicious hurricane - show them no fear, and meet their strength and determination with more of your own.”

As Javik finished his speech, the rebel fighters’ expressions quickly improved. “Did you see the look on their faces when the Prothean was tearing their team apart?” commented one of the batarians. “Ha, priceless!”

“Compared to all the Reaper monsters he’s fought,” another enthusiastic batarian pointed out, “the League’s goon squads are probably just a round of target-practice to the Prothean.”

Javik smirked a bit, but was flattered by the praise and hero-worship from these primitives. It was a long time since he had been in the role of commanding an army, the first time he had done so since awaking from his pod, and the first time in just as long that he had felt completely at home in this strange new cycle - standing in the midst of a war’s battle, leading the troops himself and fighting their sworn enemy together.

* * *

Down the dark corridors of the League compound, Major Alenko and his squad advanced, finding only more dazed and unresponsive League staff as they pushed on down to the end of the hall. Brainwashed by the orbs, they figured. At this point, Kaidan did not feel so bad about killing them, as doing so now just seemed like putting them out of their misery.

“Major,” said EDI randomly. “How does Reave work?”

“What?” Kaidan responded. “Why?”

“I am curious,” she said. “How does Reave work?”

Kaidan smirked and said, “E = mc2”

“I don’t understand.”

“Basically,” Kaidan explained, “it’s like Warp, tearing the enemy down on a molecular level. Unlike Warp, it returns the damage in the form of a layer of protective energy.”

“Like your biotic barrier,” EDI noted. “Giving you extraordinary amounts of damage protection.”

“Exactly,” said Kaidan. “So, score one for Einstein.”

Just as they finished conversing, the quartet reached the compound’s west wing and doors to what was marked: [Board Room].

“Get ready,” Major Alenko warned his squad. “The League’s head officers must have locked themselves away inside with the artifacts and are likely brainwashed. I fully expect them to resist capture and try to defend the artifacts with their lives.”

“At your command, Kaidan,” said Miranda.

Major Alenko - via Commodore's Dashboard app - positioned Liara and Miranda at opposite sides of the door and took point next to EDI. Harmonically, Kaidan established a connection with the door console remotely from his position and was able to override the lock, turning the console green from red.

As the doors opened, Major Alenko discovered the what lay inside: nothing. An empty room, save for an orb sitting at the center roundtable and, on the wall in front of them, a monitor. As the squad stepped inside, the doors shut behind them with the console going red into lockdown.

“Shit,” Kaidan exclaimed, “it’s a trap!”

On the screen in front of them, an image of a Reaper appeared.

“We awaited your arrival,” it stated coldly and distantly. The orb before them pulsated, clearly trying to work its magic on the four newcomers. Kaidan could feel its power, enveloped around him, trying first to finger its way through his skull, then intensifying to a clawing sensation against his forehead, but the squad’s omnitool application actively negated the attempted effects before the orb finally gave out. “You resist!” it beckoned angrily. “Impudent creatures of lesser form.”

“Since when does your kind use orbs to indoctrinate?” Kaidan shot back.

“Major,” said EDI, “I do not think this is a Guardian ship.”

“Guardian,” said the Reaper-like creature, whose image appeared to show its location in an underwater environment. “Your new name for what you once called ‘Reapers.’ We are not them. We came first. We are… something greater. You stand before the galaxy’s first and only true apex race.”

“We are Leviathan.”

* * *

Javik stood at the vanguard, firing away with his rifle - which ramped up its damage output while he fired continuously. Though some unfortunate allied batarians dropped around him, Javik stood in the center stoically as entire groups of enemies fell to his devastating Prothean weapon and deadly biotic attacks. Enemies pushed on forward, however, while Javik’s confidence made him lower his guard. Once Javik recognized that he had lost ground, he suddenly found himself surrounded by enemies, his fellow soldiers overrun and falling back to safety. These League militants mercilessly executed the rebel fighters they had cornered along with him until he was their only remaining captive. It appeared they wanted him alive.

“Officer,” said one of the League troopers. “Got number-five, the Prothean.”

Harmonically, Javik deactivated his medical VI.

“Excellent,” said the apparent League XO. “Net him good and stick him in the humvee. A nice reward back at the base awaits our squad for this one. Number-two - the N7 - is also out here somewhere. I want-”

Just then, Javik lashed out with a wave of biotic fury that overpowered all enemies around him. With the shotgun underbarrel attachment courtesy Commander Vega, Javik executed three nearby League troopers and then unleashed another damaging wave of biotics as they tried to get up. Javik took a couple steps back and fired his rifle, giving it the time necessary to boost its damage output. A couple more enemies fell, but soon, most had recovered. Now deeming Javik too dangerous for capture, the League soldiers opened fire.

Soon, Javik felt the bullets as they breached his biotic barriers and sliced through his armor. In pain, he grimaced and clutched at his wounds, but anger and adrenaline expelled the pain temporarily as he aimed his weapon back up at the enemies and fired again while holding it awkwardly at his side. Bullets flew again and cut him deeper, but Javik responded with the same internal intensity and miraculously erected himself into proper pose again, firing all the while. Yet the League soldiers kept shooting back. Javik knew how this was about to end, and only wondered when. When he felt the cut of a bullet that tore into his lower right abdomen, his body gave out, unable to take any more. Javik lay on the ground flat on his belly, limp. Unable to stand, he reached for something beneath him.

“That’s it,” said a voice from one of the batarians as they hurriedly approached him, “make sur-”

With the last of his strength, Javik rolled over and flicked an unpinned eezo grenade in their direction.

* * *

They held, for the time being. The mechs, the drones, the turrets, all helped make up for their lacking strength next to the mighty League army. But now, they were just about all gone. Liberty team caught a break upon defeating the second wave of League hostiles.

In the meantime, Commander Vega scouted the area thoroughly, ordered Justice squad to fall back to Liberty’s location, and positioned the remaining troops into positions he felt allowed them to best make use of their turf. However, the League’s clear advantage in strength and numbers mostly negated the rebels’ home field advantage, and ultimately gave the League the best chance to win the battle. Nonetheless, the rebels were ready to make the sacrifice and would hold nothing back. Those who had been piloting drones and turrets had now taken arms, unfit for combat though they seemed. James saw little fear in their eyes, but an intense resolve to end this war. He respected the hell out of that and it pushed him personally to fight even harder.

Just then, three scouts came back to him with news.

“Commander!” reported one of them frantically. “It’s as you predicted; the League is sending in everyone they’ve got left. Their forces are on their way from the north and west. South got hit too hard, had to fall back and regroup with west - ha!”

“So Buggy’s team really did do its job,” said James. “But where the hell is he?”

“We swept the areas safe to search,” reported another. “Your Prothean commander is still M.I.A.”

“Well,” James responded, surprised, “I’m sure he’ll turn up soon.” He huffed and tapped his radio. “Buggy! Javik, man, come on. Do you read me??”

James looked over to his side and saw the League army approaching with a force near about twice the strength of the last group they’d faced, and approximately three times the strength of their own team. With a fire in his eye, he turned to the rebel forces standing immediately around him and pointed out into the distance.

“You see them?” he asked the rebel soldiers. “That’s it. Those thugs are all that stand in the way of taking back your planet, your home, your future. You want to set things right? Stop them. You will not get another chance.” The batarians beside him hollered vigorously.

“Stay focused,” James continued. “Don’t lose control, fighting like feral varren, or the League will make short work of you. Hold that anger, use it to carry you forward when you’re hurting and weak. Everyone, to your positions. It’s payback time!!”

The rebel forces cheered and took their positions, invigorated. James stayed behind, seeking to minimize the attention on him. His defenses held up well enough in the last fight, suffering only a few flesh wounds and cracks in his armor, but this was the moment-of-truth for the resistance movement, and for himself. Black Widow sniper-rifle in hand, Commander Vega aimed down the scope and fired.

* * *

“Leviathan,” said Major Alenko, “the true name of the Reaper we had called ‘Harbinger.’ We learned of your downfall from its memory, how you created the Reapers.”

“We did not create the Reapers,” it responded. “We were betrayed. The AI of our creation harvested us, and eventually set the cycles in motion.”

“It was still your mistake, one that the galaxy would pay the price for ever since,” Kaidan shot back.

“There was no mistake” Leviathan responded. “The Intelligence served its purpose. It had witnessed the destruction of numerous organic species at the hands of their own technology, just as we did before it. We could not allow our thrall species to grow without creating the technology necessary for them to survive, but we could not save them after they shackled themselves to the machines they relied and depended on when their system inevitably collapsed. The Intelligence was created to resolve this predicament. After repeated attempts and failures, it saw the cycle as the only working solution. After millennia of harvesting, however, it finally found the answer it was seeking in your cycle.”

“… the Crucible did that,” said Major Alenko. “It was created by us, and organics before that.”

“It originated with us,” Leviathan revealed.

“Hmph,” Kaidan snorted. “It figures, actually.”

“We knew what the Intelligence was looking for,” Leviathan explained, “it attempted similar solutions in the past, and failed. What the Intelligence wanted had to be engineered by the organics themselves. So we released schematics for a device that would serve this purpose. Organics would find and build, while the Reapers would discover and destroy it many times, neither fully knowing its purpose other than to stop the cycles. We would only keep trying.”

“Your cycle successfully engineered the device. In so doing, we can now live assured that we will not lose tribute from future thrall races to the machines of their creation. Yet there was one unintended consequence. We built the device such that it would terminate The Intelligence and, as we were expecting, the Reapers along with it. The Intelligence has since vanished, presumably dead, yet its creations remain, now fully autonomous entities. They were, and still are, a mistake. Those of you who stand against us will inevitably do so with them at your side. Our society has no room for machine life. But now, it matters not. With the work of those who served us here, not even the Reapers can stop us."

“What??” Kaidan responded, incredulous. “How? What did you do?”

“The orbs,” it explained. “over the years, their power gradually degrades. Yet even in their low-power state, we have used them to destroy Reapers, giving rise to the legend of a Reaper-predator that the batarians decided to pursue. With their help, we have charged the orbs back to near their full power. In this state, we can take control of legions - flesh or machine - to serve our needs. Our batarian servants have returned to their mainland carrying several of them. Now, we have thousands of their people under our influence, ready to serve at our disposal, and the number is ever growing. You will not be able to stand against them.”

Kaidan and his squad’s jaws collectively dropped.

“Oh, Goddess!” Liara exclaimed. “These poor batarians. We were too late…”

“And now you are planning to use them to rebuild an empire,” said Kaidan in sudden realization, “just as the leadership - your thralls - said they were. It wasn’t for them, though. Just for you.”

“It did seem a little too crazy for any normal species,” Miranda pointed out.

“Empire,” Leviathan responded dismissively. “Your languages have no words to describe what the galaxy was like under our dominion. It was no ‘empire.’ It was but a natural order of the world. Your galaxy bears no resemblance to our lost glory. It is inert and hollow compared to what we had. We have waited for The Intelligence to finish its task. Now, the time has come. We will take back our place in the cosmos. You foiled our trap. Clever. You would have made excellent servants. However, we have acquired more than enough now to serve our needs. As our faithful, the batarian race will become something more than it could have ever hoped to be.”

Major Alenko scowled. “This is madness," said he. “Whatever you think you’re doing, it needs to stop.”

“You are too late to undo what we have achieved here. We have taken this planet, and we will move on the rest of the galaxy. We cannot be stopped. We will not be denied. Open your minds to us. Join us in our rise back to glory, or die.”

“No,” said Major Alenko. “Our galactic races fought a war with the Reapers not long ago, each to defend our sovereignty as a people. What you’re planning? They will never stand for it.”

“They will not be able to stop us.”

“But there is a better way,” Kaidan entreated. “Our galaxy is diverse, made up of many species’s homeworlds where their unique cultures originate. All of us respect each other’s place as equals, and we build this galactic civilization together.”

“Do you?” responded Leviathan. “We have observed from the shadows. You have a hierarchy in your Citadel Council. You infected the krogan species to keep them from flourishing, and restricted their ability to militarize. The batarians were cast out and long since forgotten. At our zenith, no races were neglected. Life blossomed in every corner of our world, all living beings shared in a collective, in harmony with one another.”

“Except for the synthetics,” EDI pointed out.

Kaidan scratched the back of his neck. “Sure, our ways of doing things have not been perfect, but we keep striving for better, and the enslavement of entire species is hardly it. Your galaxy may have had its wonders, but there had to have been flaws in it too. How can you hope to continue improving and striving for more when you suppress the independence of so many?”

“This creature is a monster,” Miranda declared. “There is no use talking sense with it.”

“Such is the typical incapability of your kind to understand,” Leviathan concluded, “but your impudence will not stop the coming tide from sweeping through your galaxy, and then those of you that remain will be shown what you lacked the capacity to see earlier. This exchange is over.”

Leviathan’s image vanished as the monitor powered off.

* * *

At the onset of the battle, the League army tore through the rebels’ first line of defense standing guard ahead of the settlement, but did so at a cost unexpectedly high. Together, the rebels fought doggedly, throwing themselves into certain death to take down as many more League troopers with them as possible. As the League troops situated themselves in the heart of the rebels’ settlement, they found that the response was only more unyielding. The rebels were more coordinated and better prepared than the League was ready for. Their strategy was simple, but the effect was devastating. Had they not lost too many men from the group moving in from the south, the League may have been able to lay siege to the base and overrun the rebels. Without it, however, the League had essentially walked into a trap.

And Commander Vega stood in the middle of it all.

Running like a well-oiled machine, James spammed his Bullet Time app and laid waste to dozens of oncoming batarians, firing off bullets from his Cyclone at the enemies before they could properly react. As he fatigued, his armor suit’s Overdrive app prompted him to a measured shot of adrenaline or injected a stimulant in safe doses that kept him going. On occasion - often when out of clips for his Cylone and hunting for more - he tangled with enemies in melee combat. With the Pommel device granting bonus damage to his swings, Perception keeping him alert to all enemies in his immediate radius, and Balance keeping him from being knocked over, James proved indomitable in hand-to-gfre hand combat.

And throughout it all, James had but one thing on his mind. Jack. She may as well have been standing right there beside him, charging off into the fray with her shotgun and insane biotic powers like she did, and him vying to show off his skills and impress her a bit.

The League had quickly become disorganized as the rebels broke down their ranks. Soon, they attempted to pull their troops out and move the battle to a more advantageous position, but they were already too deep into rebel territory to escape further casualties. And so it was finished, the rebels repelled the League’s attack and decimated their army. As the remaining League troops attempted to escape with their lives, the rebels stayed behind and celebrated their improbable victory, or left in bitter pursuit of the fleeting enemies. James, too, stayed back with his allies and reveled in their successful stand.

“THAT’S RIGHT!!” James hollered, pumping his fist in the air victoriously and galloping around the war-ravaged plains like a champion. “ _Viva la revolucion_ , hahahaha!!”

James looked around, grinning widely in the glory of it all, but the euphoria was short-lived. K’Tova, the hulking batarian giant, approached him suddenly with bad news.

“Commander!” he cried. “Saheer! He is hurt!” K’Tova ran off to show him and James followed along. Together, they found him on the ground, being attended to by two (improvised) batarian medics. Vega got down on one knee with them.

“How bad?” he asked.

“-James?” asked Saheer, turning his head over a bit through much pain.

“Buddy,” James responded empathetically. “What happened??” Just then, Vega noticed the gunshot wounds. Disturbingly, all of them were in the back. As an allied sniper, James had kept Saheer well behind the frontline. Though he supposed anything could have happened, Saheer’s injuries suggested friendly-fire. Saheer did make an unpopular decision with his men. James knew stories of soldiers who killed their officers in battle, and couldn’t help but wonder if this was another such tale.

“No…” James gasped, dismayed.

“Did we win?” Saheer rasped.

“Yeah,” James responded instantly. “Yeah, buddy. We won.” Saheer managed a pained smile before his head went limp and he exhaled one long, final breath…

James’s eyes welled up. To see a young kid’s life cut short like that? K’Tova howled in anguish, and had a few tears running down his face before he pulled out his shotgun and pumped the choke.

“What are you doing??” asked James.

“Hunting!” K’Tova replied ominously, shotgun in hand and marching away. “Saheer’s death is a crime of the League’s. Anyone I find who fought for them or supported their cause will pay the price in blood.”

The rebels brought over more dead and wounded over to this spot. That’s when James saw what had become of Javik, lying limp in the arms of two allied batarians. James got up and dashed towards him.

“Javik!” he cried. The batarians escorting him in set his body down gingerly on the ground. James tapped his radio.

“SHUTTLE! SOMEONE -- WHERE’S MY FUCKING SHUTTLE!?!”

 


	14. Into the Orb Sphere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are sitting, have a snack and/or something to drink. Length-wise, this is worth nearly 50 full pages in Word.
> 
> At long last, the latest (and most epic) chapter of my piece...

As the med-bay doors opened, Commander Vega and Major Alenko rushed ahead with Javik lying on a stretcher they carried and the rest of the fireteam following along. Dr. Chakwas stood ready, previously notified of Javik’s injuries.

“Doc,” said James, panting and exacerbated. “I did what I could for him along the way. N7 requires first-aid training for most alien biology, but obviously not Prothean.”

“He’s still alive,” Doctor Chakwas commented, “despite the gravity of his injuries. You must have done something right. Of course, without Prothean anatomy being familiar to me or any modern-day physician, I’m afraid there’s little I can do to help him.”

“Well,” said Liara, “there may be one source of information that would have what you need.”

“And who might that be?” the doctor asked curiously.

“The Guardians of the Protheans’ cycle.”

The doctor held a fist up against her lips, squinting and pondering the prospect. “Well,” said Chakwas, “I will not turn away anything that might save his life, but you are asking me to complete what must be years’ worth of study on very short notice.”

“That may not be necessary,” EDI revealed. “If you are willing, we can work in Harmony while you operate on Javik. I can store the information we acquire from the Guardian collective to my data drives, and then relay the relevant information to you during the procedure. In a sense, you will have all the information at your disposal as knowledge through our Harmonic connection.”

“Very well,” said the doctor. “I am familiar enough with Harmonics after my research study with the Alliance a few months ago. Though this is well outside my comfort zone as a physician, I see no other option, and I would not turn my back on one of our crew. Perhaps there was a reason I was there to learn about this new phenomenon a few months ago.”

“The Alliance has explored AI-assisted medicine in research cells,” said EDI, attempting to reassure her. “Such an attempt would provide them with valuable data.”

“And the Reapers will, what, just give you the information?” asked an incredulous Jack.

“Yes,” said EDI. “The Guardians have committed to the task of info-sharing shortly after the war ended. In fact, I sent a request to their collective and have just acquired the information a few moments ago. I am ready to start the procedure when you are, Doctor Chakwas.”

“Well that was quick,” James commented.

“I will make preparations and get started immediately,” said Chakwas. “We have little time. However, you are asking for a medical miracle. In cases such as these, I advise the patient’s close friends and family to be prepared for his passing.”

“Understood,” said Major Alenko in a low murmur. “I suppose it’s better if he leaves us in our company on the ship than at the hands of an enemy in battle.”

“Exactly,” concurred the doctor.

Specialist Traynor’s voice came in over the intercom. “Major Alenko, we are getting a call from the council on vid-comm.”

Major Alenko stormed out of the med-bay. “I’m on it.”  
  


* * *

  
As he hurried into the war room’s QEC booth, Major Alenko patched in the councilors: the turians’ Sparatus, the salarians’ Esheel, humanity’s Osoba, and the asari’s acting-councilor Demas.

“Major Alenko,” Esheel began. “We’ve just reviewed your latest report. Your claim that the batarians have unearthed some sort of powerful artifacts without disclosing their discovery to us is deeply concerning. We believe that further action may be required.”

Major Alenko swallowed and replied, “Actually, I had to move quickly and already took action.”

“You what?” responded Sparatus in dismay. “Do you realize what the political fallout will be when the batarians discover we’ve interfered in their affairs??”

“Hold on,” Kaidan retorted, holding a hand up. “The new government has virtually no support behind it, and has been hiding out on this remote island for months now. Nobody on the rest of the planet is even aware of what’s going on with their government, much less our small squad like ours.”

“So what have you accomplished?” asked the acting asari councilor.

“Well,” Major Alenko said darkly, “we broke into their headquarters, put down some clearly-brainwashed staff, and recovered one of the artifacts. It is being held in a kinetic-shielded case in our ship to keep it from compromising our crew. Their leadership, however, got away with the rest of them.”

“You do have one, though,” the asari pointed out, “that is a good start. We can study it and get a better idea of what the batarian government is capable of.”

“… It gets worse,” Kaidan revealed, yet more grim. “Something much more sinister is at work here. Leviathan, the original creators of the Reapers, are still alive and lurking somewhere. With the artifacts - round, opaque orbs - they’ve enthralled the batarian leaders, who’ve powered up the orbs further over the past few months. They’ve turned the orbs into powerful weapons. Leviathan has enslaved countless batarians and can take control over any ship that comes within range of its signals, even an incoming Reaper. On top of that, they’ve installed some sort of aerial defense-system of small spacecraft similar to Oculi that have adapted the same signals. When we arrived, it caused the Normandy to go haywire and crash. Now, the orb’s signal beams have been refined and Leviathan can puppeteer them as if his own. In short, Leviathan has all but taken Khar’Shan…”

The councilors fell silent.

“… Leviathan?” Esheel finally responded.

“Yes,” said Kaidan. “You may know that name from Harbinger, the first Reaper, who told us their story. What we didn't know is that they are still alive, and have been lurking in the shadows all this time."

"So that's what the Alliance was going on about," said the human councilor.

"Wait," said Major Alenko, "you're telling me- you're saying we already knew??"

"I suspect not," said councilor Osoba. "They recovered some sort of artifact very similar to what you've described, but reported their finding to us and brought it to the Citadel for study. However, the cell was sabotaged by a rogue insider before any discoveries were made."

"Sounds familiar," said Kaidan. “We’ve encountered enthralled batarians that destroyed the orbs to keep them secret.”

The councillors exchanged looks. The Councilor Sparatus looked at Councilor Esheel and nodded.

"I believe we are in agreement, then, about what must be done," said Esheel.

"We will send in a patrol around batarian space," declared Sparatus.

"A patrol," responded Major Alenko in confusion. "What’s that going to accomplish?"

"We will be placing the batarian homeworld under quarantine," clarified human councilor Osoba.

Horrified, Kaidan responded in shock, "What?? You're leaving all these people to a monster!"

"What would you have us do, Major?" replied Councilor Sparatus. "You've told us that the batarians posses some sort of weapon that can take control of any soldiers or ships we send in - including a Guardian - and turn them against us!"

“You think the threat ends here?” Major Alenko fired back. “Leviathan clearly plans to advance, beyond Khar’Shan.”

“That’s what the patrol is there for,” stated human councilor Osoba, “to contain this Leviathan for the time being.”

“Until they find some way to break past that,” Kaidan argued.

“So I ask again, Major,” said Sparatus, “what would you have us do, blindly throw our already-weakened militaries at a threat we are not sure how to fight?”

Defeated, Kaidan sighed. “… Sooner or later,” said Major Alenko, “you might have to.”

"If you do conceive a viable plan of action," said Esheel, "we would certainly consider it. We do not deny the gravity of this threat you’ve reported, but we will not act until and unless we find some solution."

"I-" Kaidan resigned, "... understand."

"In the meantime," said Councilor Osoba, "you are free to resolve the issue in any way you see fit, within reason. Otherwise, we have no further instruction for you. Now, if there is nothing else…"

His head bowed down in defeat, Kaidan nodded his head solemnly whilst the council patched themselves out of the video conference.  
  


* * *

  
Major Alenko summoned his squad to the conference room once again. Though the meeting he had planned could have easily been carried out in virtual-space as they had done previously, Kaidan preferred instead to be in the company of his fellow shipmates.

Major Alenko huffed audibly and began the conference. "Squad, we've got a crisis on our hands here. The planet has fallen to an alien threat calling itself 'Leviathan,' taking control of an untold number of batarians, with plans to advance onto the rest of the galaxy."

"We've read the report," Liara confirmed.

"Then you know that the council has responded to my latest report by putting Khar'Shan under quarantine," said Kaidan.

"It really is the most sensible course of action," Miranda commented.

"Miss Lawson is correct," EDI concurred. "Sending in any kind of aid will play to Leviathan's hands and backfire."

"We have to find some way," Kaidan insisted.

"You seem to be taking it hard," Liara pointed out.

Kaidan sighed. "... just can't help but feel like I let them down."

"It's not your fault," Miranda reassured him. "Leviathan was an unaccountable variable, and we arrived on the planet much too late to stop them. Khar’Shan is lost. We need to focus on keeping them from taking the rest of the galaxy."

"I know," Kaidan responded dismissively. "Doesn't make me feel better, though."

"That you take the batarians' fate to heart does you credit, Major," said EDI. "Additionally, I have completed my analysis of the orb we recovered. It may be the key to reversing the damage Leviathan has brought about."

"I'm all ears," Major Alenko responded hopefully.

“So are the orbs,” EDI responded.

“Huh?” responded a confused Kaidan.

“That was a joke,” EDI explained. "I have discovered that the orbs are Leviathan's eyes-and-ears into the world. I suspect the creature is aquatic, as its name suggests, but Leviathan can see and hear outside of the sea through the orbs. These effects are not two-way, however. Additionally, they emit signals that can manipulate organic and synthetic life forms both, with more stable and sustainable control over organics. The orbs' signal strength is strong enough to allow Leviathan remote control over lightyears’ distance of space. Also, given how compatible they are with the Oculi they are using, I have hypothesized that the Oculi in fact originate with Leviathan - not the Guardians.”

“At their full-strength,” EDI continued, “the orbs’ control-signals can cover a large region of a planet. Luckily, the one we have covered is a relatively low-power orb they had not finished powering up. Unfortunately, the orbs taken back to the planet’s mainland has probably enthralled the vast majority of the population. However, the orbs are devices that I’ve determined to be Harmonics-compatible. In theory, you can use that connection to override control to undo their enthrallment effects, but the encryption on the device is… exotic.”

“In what way?” Kaidan pressed her.

“Obviously, Leviathan is not a synthetic entity, so the orbs are not protected with the various types of computer codes normally associated with ‘encryption.’ Instead, Leviathan has woven memories into the orbs. Destroy one of these memories, and you will sever the orb’s connection to Leviathan.”

“Er, how does one destroy a memory?” Kaidan asked.

“Unknown,” answered EDI. “You will need to determine the memory’s vulnerability and exploit it when you are there. To interact with the memories at all, a full upload is required.”

“Full upload?”

“When interacting with devices Harmonically,” EDI explained, “part of the user’s mind enters virtual-space, then able to pass or receive data within this dimension. Only a small part of the brain is occupied with this task, enough for the user to carry out tasks in real time.”

“However, the memories within the orbs are too complex to be affected by basic Harmonics,” EDI continued. “To achieve the desired effect, you must send more than just part of your mind into this realm. You must allow all of the information stored in your brain. In doing so, the sum of your data will enter in virtual-space, creating a ‘copy’ of yourself within the realm. Once completed, you will have greater measure over the virtual environment than you would with basic Harmonics, as I believe will be necessary to override their control.”

“Has… anything like this even been tried before?” asked Kaidan incredulously.

“Two similar examples are known to me,” EDI replied. “The first: David Archer in the Cerberus cell Project Overlord. The second: Commander Shepard’s entry into the geth-consensus.”

“Project Overlord was a disaster,” Miranda pointed out.

“But Legion used what was learned from that failure to help Commander Shepard enter the geth consensus,” said EDI, “which saved the lives of many geth and quarians alike during their recent war. Additionally, the recent conception of Biotechnical Harmonics allows this transition to be carried out in a more seamless fashion than the previous few instances.”

“How will I function?” asked Kaidan.

“In real time,” EDI answered, “you will retain enough of your brain to function as normal, but you will also be carrying out actions in virtual-space at the same time. As always, your actions in virtual-space take place in a fraction of a second in real time. It is unclear how you will perceive the virtual-space after making a full upload.”

“Will I be able to bring any weapons along?” he asked.

“Yes,” EDI answered, “connect with your omnitool Harmonically to include it in the data-upload. It will help carry over your armor-suit and weapons, provided they are also linked into this same connection. Your upgrade devices in your armor-suit and VIs within your weapons should make this possible.”

“And what are the risks?”

“Your upload into virtual-space should be safe,” said EDI, “however, it is unclear what effects will take place if the memories reject your mental link in virtual-space. Anything from non-effect, to brain damage, to a reversal where Leviathan takes ahold of your mind is possible.”

“I see…” said the major.

“It’s your decision, Rocco,” said James.

Major Alenko nodded, looking off.

“I’m in,” the major announced determinedly. “Dunno if I can stop this monster, but I’m going to give it my best shot.”

“Kaidan…” Miranda responded worriedly.

“Very well,” said EDI. “We will momentarily open the kinetic-barrier case holding the orb, giving you a chance to establish a nexus-point, and then connect with the device Harmonically. All crew will run their anti-indoctrination application during the process.”

“Also,” said Kaidan. “I want our squad ready to arrest the League chairman himself once the effects wear down – pawn or not, he is too dangerous to be let loose. Have the Normandy fly us over to the capital once the effects of the orbs are disabled.”

“Then your efforts need to be timely,” EDI stated. “The target may be aware of us through Leviathan and attempt to flee, whether Leviathan retains control after disabling the orbs or not. If we are too late, he might escape. If we are too early, there will be resistance from every enthralled batarian in the area, and the Normandy itself might be compromised.”

“We’ll be careful,” Major Alenko reassured her.

“Very well,” said EDI. “Also, our emergency procedure on Javik is currently underway.”

“Do what you can for him,” Kaidan replied with a heavy heart.

“This is it for him, isn’t it?” said Liara, teary-eyed. “Oh, Javik…”

“Doc said it best, though,” James commented. “If he goes, better it’s here with us - his family. No one should die alone.”

“Must’ve been hell out there,” said Kaidan, “how the heck did you manage to help the rebels turn the tide, never mind get out of it alive?”

James shrugged. “Well,” he said, “a lot of things went right for us, basically. The League tried to beat us with brute force – better weapons, better numbers. No doubt it worked for them before, when the rebels were weak. Once I got the rebels to fight smart, like an organized, cohesive unit, the League paid the price for that strategy. Those supplies we recovered for the rebels gave them some teeth as well. And when it was all on the line, the resistance soldiers just fought out of their minds. They were simply more motivated, fighting to win their freedom while the League was just fighting not to lose. It was tight, but we hung in there and pulled it off.”

“An impressive feat,” Miranda commented.

“I’m just glad you came back to us in one piece,” said Kaidan.

James shook his head, morose. “We lost the kid,” he said solemnly. “By the looks of it, we’re about to lose Javik as well. ‘Little hard for me to feel good about that. And Leviathan has more than replaced the army it just lost.”

“Well it’s about to lose that, too,” Major Alenko declared, “if I have anything to say about it. Come on, EDI. Let’s get started on that orb.”

“Acknowledged.”

As the rest of the squad departed the conference room, James stayed behind, as did Jack. Once the others were gone, Jack walked up to him, wide-eyed and wistful. James just realized that he did not hear her say a word all meeting long.

Jack suddenly wrapped her arms around his brawny frame and squeezed him as tightly as she could. James hugged her right back. Together they stood in this tight, emotional embrace for a long moment.  
  


* * *

  
The orb was being held in a container sealed by kinetic-barriers down in the engineering deck’s cargo hold. Major Alenko and the rest of the squad entered the room. EDI and Major Alenko approached the container holding the orb together.

“Major,” said EDI, “my scans have identified the radius of the orb’s control-signals. The Normandy is actively avoiding its bounds. We may be able to counter the signals’ effects, however, with Harmonics.”

“Stay outside its range for now,” ordered Major Alenko. “Leviathan has probably counted us out. We have the element of surprise on our side. Let’s keep that going for now.”

“Very well,” said EDI. “As you disable the effects of the orbs, it will open up safe-zones through which the Normandy can fly in. The batarians in these regions will no longer be under Leviathan’s control.”

“Do you think Leviathan will be aware of what’s going on when he loses control of the orbs?”

“Unknown.”

Major Alenko shrugged. “Well, let’s hope so. Alright, EDI. Time to make it happen.”

Privately, Miranda tensed up. She wanted to say something, but held her tongue, noting the company around her.

“Understood,” EDI responded. “Opening the kinetic-shield case now. All crew: please run anti-indoctrination application.”

Major Alenko ran the application, which actively blocked foreign signals from corrupting his brain. As the case containing the orb opened, Major Alenko primed his Harmonic energy and fired it out to establish a nexus-point between himself and the artifact. Though this ‘point, Major Alenko could link his mind with the device as normal. However, Major Alenko continued to channel more Harmonic power from himself though the nexus-point to achieve the desired upload: a full reading of his brain, to produce a perfect copy of himself into virtual-space.

Kaidan’s skin turned hot from the exertion, also breaking a sweat during this taxing process. Finally, after over two full minutes of sustained effort, Kaidan lost the ability to upload further beyond the nexus-point.  
  


* * *

  
Suddenly, Kaidan awakened to a lush, green forest world. Beneath him lay a paved dirt trail. Just seconds ago he remembered trying to upload his full Harmonic power through the virtual-space. Now, he was somewhere else, but could also feel an extension of his mind in another dimension just as he did when employing basic Harmonic connection to virtual-space. This could not be the real world as he knew it, he reasoned, but it could not be virtual-space either.

Or could it?

Then he remembered. EDI mentioned that Leviathan’s encryption of the orb devices was exotic, and that basic Harmonic connection would not be enough to interact with the server it created. Its encryption, EDI had told him, was in the form of memories. Though it seemed impossible, the realization slowly dawned on Kaidan that the world around him now was just a virtual manifestation of Leviathan’s memory. So, he had successfully wholly created himself in virtual-space, and what he felt extending beyond was really him back on the Normandy - where time was moving slowly, to a near freeze. Unbelievable!

Now, Kaidan had to somehow destroy this memory. What would it take? A wildfire? His omnitool could cast an incineration projectile, but flaming eezo was not the same as an actual fire, insufficient for the purpose of a growing and sustained inferno. Or maybe the path beneath him was the key. Trees towering overhead, verdant plant life surrounding him, Kaidan could not see where the path would lead, but followed it on a whim in the direction it was pointing.

As he walked along, Kaidan looked out for any sign of civilization. Something emerged down the path where the trees did not obstruct the view. Just the peak of a distant mountain, it would turn out. Kaidan continued on. Further along, there was a fork in the path - one heading towards the mountain, the other in another direction. Kaidan saw no point in heading uphill, so he opted to move in the other direction. Along the way, another view emerged. Just more trees and forestry expanse, at first sight, but something peered out in the middle of it all. A tip, atop layers of brick, each layer wider than the next - pyramidal. Kaidan eyed it with interest, and the path appeared to be leading him closer to it at an incline.

After some uphill travel, a valley emerged before him, and the structure he had spotted would reveal itself in entirety. It was indeed a pyramid of some sort, the only sign of intelligent life in the area, where the path he followed ultimately ended. Now convinced of his route, Kaidan followed the dirt trail downhill and moved in closer. Before he reached the end of the path, the pyramid turned 45° on its axis and split into two parts down the middle. As the split ends moved further apart, some creature emerged from the center. Large, with elongated ears and grizzled fur all over, the creature was a bear-like biped outfitted in light combat gear such as a helmet and vest. Kaidan identified some sort of weapon at its side - a spear, with an electrically-charged tip and some small device on the opposite end. This alien being looked straight at him as though expecting Kaidan’s arrival, and walked forward. Kaidan had his hands at his side, ready to draw his weapon out quickly if the need arose.

“You have awakened me from slumber, traveler” said the creature in a deep, soothing voice that belied his imposing figure, “I am but a memory of this past world. I stand before you as a representative of the Cendriens. We were faithful servants of Leviathan: the caretakers of their planets, rangers that kept watch against the intrusive ones, domesticators of all manner of beast, hunters and gatherers.”

“Unbelieveable,” Kaidan gasped. “Leviathan has preserved the memory of your people, enough to bring one to life in virtual-space!”

“This dimension is not new to them as it is for you,” the Cendrien revealed. “Leviathan developed the ability to create media for communication through their minds alone. They’ve had this power even before the advent of living machines. It was this ability that gave him control over everything in the cosmos, the entire galaxy a tool that bent to its will…”

“Yes,” Kaidan recalled. “The Reaper Harbinger told us the story. It created the Intelligence, which led the ‘lesser’ organic species to rebel and fight for their freedom from it, and then eventually created the Reapers. But how could a being as powerful as you described ever fall?”

“The Intelligence took away that which made him powerful,” explained the two-legged bear person. “It engineered a way to block their control over other organic species. Leviathan had also grown to depend on its underlings, and when they unified to turn on them, they were taken by surprise. Eventually, they were hunted down until forced into hiding.”

“Did you also turn?” asked Kaidan.

“No,” it replied. “We were faithful, and the war was before our time. We were the first organic species that had been lost to the problem Leviathan asked The Intelligence to solve.”

“How did your species die?”

“Our people developed a bio-synthetic weed to root out parasitic, intrusive flora beyond our ability to control,” the Cendrien explained. “At the onset, it was monumentally successful in allowing us control over the ecosystems of Leviathan’s many grand worlds. Over time, we reprogrammed the weed to take on greater responsibilities and expanded its power to carry out its tasks.”

“However, this growing complexity in its programming eventually led it to identify us as an intrusive species. By then, the weed had been integrated into nearly every corner of the galaxy we had called home. We tried feverishly to reverse its programming, to disable it, or take any measure to neutralize the threat. However, its coding was complex beyond any of our abilities to reverse it, and the defenses we put in place to keep it from sabotage or cyber-terrorism only locked us out of attempts to hack or infect it. Destroying the ground it lay in just meant destroying our own habitat. So it claimed us, spreading various gases, toxins, and gamma-rays to eradicate our people. What few survivors remained found refuge in remote areas of our homeworld, but they would die out over time.”

“Organics would no longer have that problem,” stated Kaidan. “We can process and encode information on computer servers and things like that in virtual-space. The job gets done in the blink of an eye.”

“As could our master,” said the Cendrien, “but we did not have his gift. Leviathan responded to our loss by engineering the orbs, extending his reach and control of the universe. However, violent conflicts between organic life and their machine creations only persisted. Often, Leviathan tried to exert control from his thralls onto the machines they created. Sometimes this worked. Other times, it ended poorly. Eventually, Leviathan concluded that this ongoing problem was beyond his capacity to solve, and that he needed to remain uninvolved in the affairs if there was to be a solution. The Intelligence, the machine it created to solve this problem, eventually came to the same conclusion and did the unthinkable - removing Leviathan’s hold over the galaxy altogether.”

“I see…” said Kaidan, whose attention turned back to his task. “Well, I don’t know how to tell you this, but Leviathan seeks to destroy many lives right now, and destroying this space will help me save them.”

“No,” said the Cendrien. “What you require is control. In your current state, you can do nothing to the device. If given control, you can use the orb to the end your desire. You want it deactivated. Through me, Leviathan holds that power now. I can grant it, but I will not.”

“Is there a problem?” asked Kaidan.

“We may no longer be part of the natural world,” said the Cendrien, “but I will uphold the spirit with which we lived by it. We served the master then, and will again now. We would also not see our realm, however surreal, fall to an intrusive species. So we battle for control. If this means I die and the last remaining memory of our people is lost, so be it.”

“Wait!” said Kaidan. “If you give me control of this device, I offer to preserve your memory.”

“I fight for something greater than myself,” said the Cendrien. “Leviathan, our master, gave us glory eons ago. Now, he has preserved me here. I am indebted to serving him.”

“Think this through,” said Kaidan. “If you fail, you will die here, and your civilization and people will be utterly forgotten. If you succeed, I still have the orb at my disposal, and you may face an even greater threat than just me eventually. We may even see fit to destroy the orb, and your memory will be lost with it. Just give me the control you have, and I swear to move your memory somewhere safe, guarded.”

“I did not expect you would offer me this,” said the Cendrien. “Perhaps there is a better way.”

Kaidan looked on as the Cendrien contemplated the offer.

“So shall it be,” it concluded, suddenly releasing a burst of unstable energy from within his form. “Accept this power. You will have control.” Confused and suspicious though he was, Kaidan stepped forward and reached towards it tentatively. The power before him transferred over in a sudden burst that shocked him a bit.

“Uhh!” he grunted. As soon as he recovered his right-of-mind, Kaidan looked around. His perception of the world around him was changed. He saw the forest world and its sole inhabitant, as before, but now could also see the signals actively sent out that held control over untold thousands of batarians. Kaidan, however, now held the power to eliminate Leviathan’s influence entirely. With an instinctive wave of his fingers, Kaidan overloaded the outgoing chain code that formed these signals and saw it burst from overload, coming undone.

“You’ve removed Leviathan’s control over the outside,” said the Cendrien. “Will you make good on your promise to me, traveler?”

Kaidan nodded his head, sincere. “I will.”

The Cendrien bowed down on one knee and disarmed. “I thank you.”

“Glad I could help,” Kaidan responded, slightly confused but humbled nonetheless. “There are servers that are committed expressly to the purpose of keeping old memories. You will find a home there”

“I honor you, traveler, but fear the other memories may not offer as civil an exchange as ours,.”

“Well, thanks for the warning. Could you show me to the next memory?” asked Kaidan.

The Cendrien turned and motioned towards a white ring on the ground within the open pyramid just ahead of them.

“There,” it said “the portal. You will find other such portals in the next memory-spheres. I wish you luck.”

“Would you be willing to accompany me?” asked Kaidan.

“Sorry, traveler,” it responded, “but my form would fail to carry over to the next realm.”

“I understand,” said Kaidan. “Well, thank you anyways.”

Kaidan moved forward and stepped over the glrowing white ring within the pyramid. There, in a flash of white light, Kaidan’s virtual form was exported away from this memory-sphere and over to the next.  
  


* * *

  
“Upload complete,” said EDI, by which time, Major Alenko’s experience in virtual-space had long since concluded. “Control-signals offline - the orb has been deactivated.”

“So what happened?” James asked, curious. “How did it feel, Rocco?”

“I,” Kaidan replied, “… don’t know? I mean, I feel that I interacted with the device, and I can feel it had the effect I intended. But it’s not like Harmonics with, like, my omnitool - where I know the input I am giving it through virtual-space and the output it will achieve. I just feel… very in-the-dark about this.”

“Whatever you did was successful in disabling the orb device,” Miranda pointed out. “I suppose that is all that matters right now. We can try to make more sense of things later.”

“So what happens now?” asked James.

“The devices are connected in a network,” said Kaidan. “I can feel my connection shifting to the next device. It is taking some time though.”

“It will likely require about the same time as the upload itself,” EDI speculated, “which was 2 minutes and 24 seconds.”

“Hmm,” Kaidan murmured, contemplating.

“Seems like we do have a chance against this Leviathan after all,” James commented, “if the major can keep it up, that is.”

“Yeah,” said Kaidan, “what are people’s thoughts about this thing?”

Liara sighed. “I suppose it was too much to hope for,” she said, “that what happened a year ago would be the war to end all wars. Fate always seems to punish that belief.”

“If our efforts here fail,” said Miranda, “the Council may see fit to take some extreme measures to contain this threat. And they would not be wrong to.”

“And the crazy part is,” James commented, “the batarians here are just a proxy. Is that right, EDI?”

“Correct,” said EDI. “The orbs emit control-signals from within, but are also receiving identical signals from outside which I believe to be Leviathan’s. I attempted tracing them back. All I know is that they lead s--  
  


* * *

  
Kaidan felt a hot, arid air on his skin upon arrival into the next world. A massive crowd formed a ring around him. They were making noise, very enthusiastically, Kaidan just couldn’t tell if it was cheering or taunting. This was some sort of stadium, clearly, very futuristic in design. There were large display-panels above the crowd that pictured the field beneath them, as well as a massive, virtual projection overhead creating the same images. Beyond the crowd in the stands, Kaidan could see some large edifices and busy skycar traffic, marking the existence of a greater metropolis outside this structure. The ground beneath him was hard dirt, and across the field, an alien approached him.

The creature walking his way looked avian. It was donned in heavy black armor, and its skin appeared to be a deep, dark purple - rigid and scaly. Towering about two feet above him with broad, lumbering shoulders, wing-like arms, a large humpback akin to a krogan’s, and not much of a neck to speak of, it was, in all, not a creature he wanted to quarrel with. Once it was near him, the crowd noise died down, but the alien stood silent, eyeing him down with its wide eyes.

“What are you?” asked Kaidan in awe, walking a few steps closer to it cautiously.

“I belong to the most venerated of Leviathan’s faithful,” said the creature. “I am a representative of the Balthynon. We fought, we performed, we competed in events for the master’s highest honor. When The Intelligence led rebellion against them, we stayed at their side, and our species perished together.”

“You sided with Leviathan,” Kaidan responded. “Why?”

“Leviathan was bountiful,” it said, “offering a great many resources and luxuries for us. Our lives were good under his rule.”

“You were enthralled,” said Kaidan. “Of course he made you think that.”

“The Intelligence removed Leviathan’s control,” the Balthynon replied. “It attempted to show us we could be independent, and something greater if we acted on our own volition. But even after we became aware of ourselves outside his influence, most of us quickly discovered we had more with their power behind us. We felt no compulsion to fight them, only to protect our place in the galaxy.”

“Huh,” Kaidan responded, surprised. “Was there some sort of hierarchy between the species, where you were at the top?”

“We offered Leviathan the most,” the alien answered. “Naturally we lived best. There was no tyranny in Leviathan’s reign, however, only balance which he brought about. It is why AI were his undoing - he could not similarly bring them into the balance.”

“I’d prefer to lead my own life,” said Kaidan, “not to serve the whims of some super-powerful being who might not share my beliefs.”

“Pointless,” Balthynon replied, “you could be everything you are now, and more.”

“Not doing it for my own reasons,” said Kaidan, “I would no longer be ‘me,’ really. I’d prefer to keep my person intact before experiencing anything else.”

“There is but one way to settle disagreements where neither side will yield,” said Balthynon, “one side must eliminate the other. So it was when we argued this matter against The Intelligence and those who allied with him. It did not matter who was right or wrong, only which side was most strong. Leviathan was powerful, but The Intelligence developed past it. Until now.”

“Just as The Intelligence raised an army to usurp our master, Leviathan sat in wait - what is a few millennia to an ageless god? - and used the next generations of organic civilizations between cycles to serve unwittingly as pawns, contributing to the construction of a device that rivaled The Intelligence’s power itself. You hear the story of Leviathan and say that The Intelligence defeated him, yet The Intelligence is no more, and Leviathan has returned to take back the galaxy.”

“Not on my watch,” said Major Alenko.

“Your only means of accomplishing your goal - to reverse the orbs’ effect - is to gain control of our territory. We were competitors of the highest order and would never relinquish our territory to any challenger. So we duel for it.”

Before Kaidan could get a word in, Balthynon raised its wing-like arm, revealing his hand holding some kind of firearm. Major Alenko instinctively leapt aside, dodging the blast of his enemy’s weapon, which inflicted heavy splash-damage where it fired. With that, the crowd erupted. It dawned on Kaidan that he was seemingly in the middle of a spaceflight-era gladiator match, where he was to fight his enemy to the death.

The Balthynon then activated some sort of handheld device like an omnitool at its palm. Kaidan felt something affect him, then realized his biotic amp, omnitool, and Harmonic devices were all ‘frozen.’ He was sapped! The Balthynon then leapt up and flapped its wings, hovering up in the air above him. Major Alenko froze and stared up at it in awe before the Balthynon came down like a heat-seeking missile, hitting Kaidan with massive force and knocking him to the ground. Kaidan felt his hold on virtual-space slip away slightly, which alarmed him. Steeling his resolve, Major Alenko picked himself up and stood ready. Harmonically, Kaidan reconnected to his amp, omnitool, and upgrades and reset all devices manually. As this fight had suddenly become dramatic and suspenseful, the crowd noise dropped markedly.

The Balthynon then erected some sort of an energy-sword - like an omniblade, but about three times the size. Kaidan spawned a hex-shield which he placed on the ground, then stood behind it while firing a couple shots at the enemy with his Paladin pistol. The Balthynon stood in a defensive stance, shielding itself with its wings. The Paladin did some damage, but very little. It appeared that the Balthynon’s wings had an exterior tough as armor plating. As Kaidan reloaded, the Balthynon marched towards him, slashing its sword against his hex-shield and effectively tearing it down in one swing. Once within reach, the Balthynon swung its blade at Major Alenko, who executed a biotics-assisted backflip to take himself out of range. The Balthynon then fired off a bolt of unstable electrical energy at Kaidan from its handheld device, which destroyed much of Kaidan’s kinetic- and biotic-barriers.

Balthynon then leapt up and hovered in the air. Kaidan was expecting it to charge him again, so he began moving to avoid getting locked on. Instead, the Balthynon spun furiously, creating a whirlwind that drew Kaidan back in and toppled him over. The Balthynon came back down and slammed his sword down upon him. Kaidan rolled aside narrowly dodging the blow, luckily, for he figured that hit would have been the end of him. Kaidan primed his biotics and kicked back against Balthynon. The impact knocked it back, but Balthynon recovered gracefully using its wings.

Kaidan was frustrated. Damn bird-thing was practically built to negate all the things Kaidan excelled at. And it did not seem to have any flaws he could exploit, either. No weaknesses? No, that was bullshit, as he remembered what Miranda said before the team’s assault on League HQ: everything has a weakness. This thing had fallen alongside its masters, after all. Someone had bested it.

That was just it - Kaidan neglected to employ his Tactical Scanner application. What a simple, silly mistake, he thought. With the app online Harmonically, Kaidan pinpointed his enemy’s weak-spots - the head, naturally, along with three small areas around the chest. Balthynon was a mobile target, however, and could effectively ward off lots of damage in that defensive position using its wings as a shield. Actually hitting any of those four weak spots would be easier said than done.

The Balthynon fired off shots from its handgun. Kaidan protected himself with another hex-shield. Though the shield would break again after three shots, Kaidan used his biotics to put a Reave field around Balthynon, and then opened fire with his Lancer rifle. Balthynon again stood in its defensive stance, but noticed that the rigid plating on its wings had weakened measurably from Kaidan’s biotics and were breaking apart, inflicting wounds as the bullets cut deeper. Balthynon then leapt into the air and charged Kaidan’s position quicker than Kaidan could dodge. As a result, Kaidan suffered the hit and his shields failed temporarily, but he kept his footing and brushed it aside. Unphased, Kaidan switched out his rifle for his hard-hitting pistol and loosed a few rounds into its exposed chest.

Balthynon roared out in pain and then angrily charged up its sword again before taking another swing at Kaidan. This time, Kaidan targeted the Balthynon’s sword itself with his omnitool while casting energy-drain from his omnitool Harmonically. In effect, the sword shriveled, losing tremendous power, and Kaidan blocked the melee weapon with his omnitool (which, he reasoned, likely would have been destroyed by the Balthynon sword had he not weakened it severely). With his shields recharged and biotic-barriers replenished to its brim, Kaidan then purged his barrier in an effect that detonated the Reave field that remained around Balthynon. This effect was devastating to Balthynon, seeming to snap both of its wings and rendering it crippled as the impact sent it airborne. Hitting the ground, Balthynon sat on the ground weak and exposed. From some 50 feet away, Kaidan lined up a shot with his Paladin and fired for the enemy’s head.

Direct hit.

Balthynon was finished and the match was Kaidan’s. The crowd roared again. He was yet still unsure whether they were cheering him or expressing displeasure with the end result. It mattered not. Balthynon’s corpse yielded the same force of energy that Kaidan had acquired from the Cendrien. Major Alenko walked over and claimed it, thus acquiring control of the sphere. Kaidan then disabled the orb’s control-signals and spotted the portal to the next virtual world at the tunnel from which Balthynon had originally emerged into the stadium.  
  


* * *

  
\--omewhere off-world,” said EDI. “This would seem to indicate that Leviathan is not on this planet physically.”

“Second one down,” Kaidan reported to his squad.

“Damn,” said James “Just hammering it out, Major.”

“That orb alone has released many from Leviathan’s hold,” Miranda informed him. “According to my our readings, about 17% of the Leviathan’s sphere-of-influence was just eliminated.”

“What can we do in the meantime?” James inquired.

“Unfortunately, we cannot safely access the capital building where Makyrs has situated himself until we disable the effects of the next two orbs.”

“But what if we go via shuttle,” Major Alenko asked, “and run the anti-indoctrination application in Harmony with the shuttles’ systems?”

“The Kodiak may then be immune to the orbs’ control-signals,” EDI confirmed, “but the Oculi can detect our stealth-systems and would pose a grave threat.”

“Not if we hover below their range,” Kaidan pointed out.

“But then you would risk being detected by Leviathan’s thralls by eye,” said EDI. “They could set up traps, barricades, and employ heavy artillery to bring down the shuttle.”

“Isn’t that always a risk?” Major Alenko responded.

“What are you suggesting, Kaidan?” asked Miranda.

“EDI said it earlier,” Kaidan answered. “Makyrs could get away if we’re not timely. If we wait ‘til the last orb is disabled before heading in, he might use that time to run.”

“Is he worth the risk?” asked James.

“There’s no telling just how dangerous he is,” said Major Alenko. “But we’ve made it this far, and right now… I just have a good feeling about our shot right now.”

The squad exchanged looks.

“To the shuttles,” Major Alenko ordered, pounding his fist down into an open palm. “Time to nail this sorry bastard.”

Commander Vega nodded and looked back at the rest of the team, motioning his head over to the door. “You heard the man.”

“Racing the clock,” Liara commented, “just another day at work on the Normandy.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” James responded. “C’mon, this one’s for Javik!”

Reinvigorated, Major Alenko turned and led the way, with the rest of the team marching behind. Just as he walked out of the cargo hold, he sensed the near completion of his transition to the third orb.

“Getting connected to the next one…”  
  


* * *

  
Upon entry into the next orb’s virtual realm, Kaidan found himself boot-deep in murky waters. It was dark in this new realm, with some fog in the air and little sunlight. Dark and dismal, everything about this swamp was dreary. The bank was muddy with algae covering the surface; the trees spindly and standing in crooked pose.

Just ahead of him, a small hill. Kaidan walked towards it, and made way to the top to get a better view around the area. One somewhat healthier and less awkward-looking tree stood in solitude atop this hill. When Kaidan was just within a few feet of this one particular tree, it shifted suddenly, unfolding to reveal its true, humanoid form. Taken by surprise, Kaidan flinched a little.

“A tree?” Kaidan responded in disbelief.

“No,” it replied, “the last memory of a Br’thv’v’fn. We came into our own within the marshy forests of planet Tob, home to the species you call ‘salarians.’”

“Sur’Kesh!”

“We built our civilization with clean technology,” recounted the Br’thv’v’fn representative, “only ever assembling machines that served our needs without destroying the marshes. Anything that polluted or excreted harmful substances were done away with. We protected our habitat, for we knew that its loss would be our downfall.”

“What happened to your species?” asked Kaidan, catching on to the trend.

“We were under Leviathan’s watch,” it replied, “but it was waiting for us to further develop before it would make contact with and enthrall our species. The Intelligence came to us first, told us that we would be made minions of the creature and offered to protect us from that fate if we would join its effort to eliminate them. We agreed. The Intelligence raised an army that were empowered to face Leviathan and ultimately defeated them. But we were later forgotten by those we’d called allies in this fight.”

“Other species grew, advanced, and developed far while we maintained slower, more careful growth that suited us. Their wealth and riches dwarfed our own. When they required resources available only on our lands, they came to us. To avoid conflict, we granted them provisional space, but their industrialization would soon spill over, infect and destroy the fragile habitat that we depended on for survival. Soon, we were left with no choice but to attempt to fight back, but we did not have the might to stand any chance. We lost many in the ensuing conflict, and gradually died out from the loss of resources and suitable living spaces for us around the galaxy.”

“That’s horrible,” Kaidan commented.

“They would eventually get what they deserved. Those who had trampled over us would meet the same fate at the hands of The Intelligence, which similarly disregarded them to carry out its own function. Ironically, all that stopped it from overtaking organic life completely was Leviathan’s mandate for it to harvest organic life, requiring it to allow organics to periodically survive and grow.”

“You wish to take control of this sphere or change it beyond its original structure, eerily reminiscent to the slow extinction of our species by those whose expansion effectively destroyed us. I am the last memory of our people; I will not go out on a whimper again.”

“But I mean no harm to you,” said Kaidan. “I have no plans of coming back and changing this space of yours in any way, either. I am no threat. Give me control so I can undo Leviathan’s damage and I will just be on my way.”

“How often I heard those words,” said the tree being cynically, “only to find them return and spread the industrial muck over my living space every time. I will not go out on a whimper!!”

The tree creature pounded down a branch arm over Major Alenko, who reflexively braced himself with a biotic-field to push back against it. In a deadlock, Major Alenko struck his omniblade through the barrier, which he had primed to add a flame effect. This strike was effective and knocked the Br’thv’v’fn aback, severely crippled by the fire. Noting the tree’s vulnerability, Kaidan fired an Incineration projectile from his omnitool, which set the enemy completely aflame. Major Alenko then drew his Lancer and aimed down the target, but it was still suffering massive damage from the fire.

The Br’thv’v’fn fell to its roots. Major Alenko put his rifle away.

“Fitting, I suppose, that a machine would be my undoing,” said the tree creature, toppling over as it finally perished. Kaidan sighed and stepped up to the crisp, charred log that remained of the strange alien. Its corpse released the power of this sphere, which Kaidan grasped and acquired. With control now his, Kaidan severed the orbs’ control-signals and continued to the next portal, which lay in the spot where the Br’thv’v’fn previously stood atop the hill. Kaidan approached it, and then felt his virtual form slowly travel out across the orb network.  
  


* * *

  
Within the time he had stepped forward in real-time, Kaidan had sensed his connection to virtual-space take an effect and move across the network to the next device.

“Done with the third one,” he announced, “moving to the fourth.”

“My scans indicate that 28% of Leviathan’s sphere of influence has been disabled,” EDI notified him.

“Our commander is making progress very quickly,” Miranda commented, as they reached the elevators. “We need to move fast, then, if we are to catch the chairman.”

“It takes a few minutes to travel between orb spaces,” said Kaidan. “That affords us some time, but not much. Still, we have to try.” The elevator reached the CIC and the squad hurried inside. As it reached the bottom they quickly grabbed their gear and headed into the shuttles by assigned teams.

“Open the hatch, Joker!!” Major Alenko ordered.

“-Aye aye.”

The Normandy hangar-bay doors opened and the shuttles sped out. Joker noted the Oculi back on his tail and radioed back to Major Alenko.

“Those things are back,” said Joker, “on my 6. I’ll draw them away. Say the word and I’ll see how many I can shoot down.”

“You’re authorized,” Major Alenko confirmed.

Joker grinned. “Time for some payback.”

Joker maneuvered a stunt that pulled the Normandy hard to its side, momentarily drawing clear of the Oculi that scrambled to readjust and continue pursuit.

“Jeff’s Harmonic connection with me is keeping Oculi control-signals at bay,” EDI reported.

“Excellent,” said Kaidan.

Major Alenko was in the pilot’s seat of the shuttle, which was descending from the Normandy hangar bay before his mind connected with the next device in the orb network.  
  


* * *

  
As his mind within the virtual-space opened to new surroundings, the next realm Major Alenko entered made an immediate impression on him. He found himself inside what seemed to be a skyscraper, overlooking a busy city. The view was marvelous. The sun was setting, and colored the skies a hot pink color with some prominent streaks of orange and yellow. Around him were all sorts of different computers in the room, operating independently.

Kaidan then put a finger against the glass, only to see it dissipate in response and form a path across the city sky. That was not glass, he reasoned, but some sort of energy field. On a whim, Kaidan set foot on the path, only for it to shoot him rapidly over to its end point. Though taken by surprise, Major Alenko was brought safely down on a platform outside a neighboring building, in front of its main door and where the path split in opposite directions at his side. It was a strange place for an entrance - many feet above ground, giving him sweaty palms and slight feelings of vertigo.

Kaidan decided against walking in and looked out across the view, then seeing one grand, massive supercomplex in the middle of it all that dwarfed every other structure. That had to be the location of the next portal, he reasoned, and whatever he had to face to gain control of this region.

Hopping along these kinetic walkways and platforms, Major Alenko sailed through the air of this grand metropolis. This city was larger and more luxurious than any he’d ever seen before, like the work of a civilization thousands of years more advanced and developed than the asari. After some time, Kaidan reached a larger, wider platform situated directly across his intended destination. There was a great divide between the entrance to the city’s central supercomplex and the platform where he now stood. Slowly, the platform moved across the open space and brought Kaidan to the building’s entryway. Once at its doorstep, two large, stone boards parted to clear the way by. Harmonically, Kaidan had sensed some sort of scanners reading him both at the entrance and at the mega-platform just before it, and yet neither one barred his entry, leading Kaidan to wonder whether he was expected or just not seen as a threat.

Walking inside, Kaidan looked around and admired the hall’s lavish interior - ivory white tiles formed patterns on the walls, purple marble on the ground, and chandeliers glowing brilliantly that somehow seemed to emit light from the crystals themselves. Though it was all very fancy and futuristic, the room gave of a very historic and antiquated feel to it. And, at the end of the hall, two wide, gilded doors with a large gem in the middle, comparable to amethyst. This species really had a flair for fancy gold plating and precious stones. Though there were other corridors on this floor, Kaidan was drawn to this entrance.

Once at the end, Major Alenko examined the door. Some hidden device scanned him; Kaidan detected the effect Harmonically. Gradually, the amethyst lit up to a bright pink color. Kaidan tapped it with a finger cautiously.

The doors then slowly split apart, revealing the room within. There, another alien stood in wait over some kind of a table. It looked wooden, but of an emerald-green finish rather than some shade of brown. It was not simply flat and rectangular, either, but had long, pointed tails on the ends like the tusks of a wild animal. It was not the only piece of furniture in the room, just the largest, and most focal. Behind the alien was a big, wide window with a beautiful view of the city. The alien was staring down at its desktop when he entered and did not look up even as he walked in.

“… Hello?” said Kaidan.

“No need to announce yourself,” the creature replied him in a high-pitched buzz of voice, still not looking up. “Your actions are felt across this network.” This alien was less impressive, physically, than the previous few: fairly short, with a large skull with patches of stringy white hair on an otherwise smooth, bald scalp, arms long and noodly, legs short and stumpy with a bottom-heavy torso. It was hard to imagine this creature as the architect behind the great society around them, but Major Alenko supposed that what it lacked in the physical, it may have made up for in mental acuity.

“So,” Kaidan responded, “Leviathan knows what’s going on?”

“Probably,” the alien answered, now turning his gaze up front. Seeing his face clearly, the creature did not have any prominent features: two slits for a nose, deep and beady eyes, relatively flat and oval face, small lips that were the same dull gray color as its skin. “I, however, figured as much on my own. There were some slight shifts in the currents running through the network. I imagined some outsider influence was at work and that it would surface here as well. Nonetheless, I did not expect to face the outsider within the network itself.”

“What are you?” asked Major Alenko.

“I am… a Üvionn,” it answered simply.

“And what’s your story?”

“One of great regret….” The Üvionn backed away from its desk and activated some handheld device around its wrist. With that, the room went dark and the glass on the window tinted to an absolute black while virtual hologram images filled the void. “And for that reason, I would prefer you see it through our eyes.”

Images of a war flashed before him. Üvionn participants were infrequent in the infantry, but were shown piloting impressive spacecraft and making daring maneuvers while facing enemies in space combat. At the end of it, the Üvionns were shown triumphant alongside several others species, along with one magnificent light-blue holographic image towering over them that resembled each of these allied species in some way all at once - a symbol of their unity, perhaps. Next flashed the rise of a civilization. It was theirs. Quickly, the impressive galactic society he had seen a glimpse of outside was formed by careful planning, meticulous inspection, and cooperative effort. Several outside parties threatened them, but were kept bay - an image of a light-blue phantasmal hologram was shown here again, along with Üvionn naval forces. All of these outside threats were repelled from the Üvionns’ borders.

Once their homeworld was built, they replicated their impressive civilization on many colony worlds. Additionally, they found many new and clever ways to incorporate computers into their everyday life, AI included. Major Alenko had a bad feeling about where that was going to go.

The Üvionns were shown to be a peaceful race and coexisted peacefully alongside their AI. Another image of the recurring hologram was shown, this time alongside the Üvionns and their AI. Next, however, was one particularly devious image of an alien silhouette; it seemed to have horns, and two pairs of arms. Away from the Üvionns, it built a society to rival theirs, and the two sides often tangled. The Üvionns held them off with their navy and AI alongside them serving as infantry. Between the Üvionns and their enemy, the hologram was pictured standing, as though protecting the Üvionns. Neither the Üvionns nor their fellow AI were ever shown going on the offensive, however.

Then the enemy developed some sort of a cyberweapon - a virus, he imagined. They unleashed it on the Üvionns such that it brought about a technological apocalypse down on them. It did not affect their AI, but the enemy created identical version of their AI that were hostile, making them unable to identify friend or foe. The hostile alien threat that continually plagued the Üvionns finally brought about their destruction. In the final image, that recurring image of a hologram was shown taking the form of one of the Üvionn’s AI, hovering above the Üvionns’ homeworld - this time in a solid red color as though it had gone hostile as well.

The lights came back on inside the room.

Major Alenko was not sure if he understood the entire sequence correctly, but if it was even close to what he had gathered, it truly was tragic.

“So some outside alien threat - organic, I assume - brought you down with a nasty computer virus…”

“Our society was greatly advanced,” said the Üvionn. “We came to rely on the machines and our AI for a great many things. Our enemy used that against us. Once he corrupted our machines, we were ruined.”

“But if I understood right, your AIs did not fall to this cyberwarfare.”

“No,” said the Üvionns. “They did not. They were too complex for this virus. We did not realize that until it was too late. Our enemy sent in identical AI that were programmed to be hostile towards us, leading us to believe our AIs were also corrupted. Naturally, when our vital computer systems went haywire, our first concern was whether the AI had also been compromised. When we saw what looked like our own machines opening fire on us, we panicked. Though some of our AI tried to alert us to the fact that these were not the same mechs as themselves, few believed them so readily, and we were having issues with communicating already.”

“While we were weak, confused, and mistakenly fighting our own AI, the enemy took advantage and finished us. The Intelligence had long kept us safe alongside our fellow AI. This time, however, even he had been caught off-guard. In the end, we eventually died out. Our enemy would then try to finish the job with our fellow AI, but I understand The Intelligence moved them out of the enemy’s reach and protected them.”

“The Intelligence,” Kaidan responded, “was that the image of that hologram that kept showing up?”

“Yes, four times. It was The Intelligence who led the galaxy in rebellion against Leviathan, allowing us to build our own society independent of their influence. Afterwards, it was an ally to many of those who fought at its side - and to our species in particular. Unlike many other organic species which clashed with the AI of their creation, we were one of few to show an affinity for synthetic life. Rarely did we engage them in a massive conflict. We proved that peace was possible. The Intelligence, for that reason, wanted to see us protected from outside threats.”

“However, an enemy species came into perpetual conflict with us. We never pursued them, but eventually, they noted our dependence on machines and made our entire system collapse. In an instant, the structures that we built our society around came undone and our civilization collapsed. It was a devastating outcome in the eyes of The Intelligence, showing it that not even peaceful relations with synthetic life could prevent organics from being claimed victim to their own technology, not if the balance-of-power between them remained firmly on the side of the machines. One simple glitch in the system would spell their doom.”

“What a sad end,” commented Major Alenko. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“Since you arrived in this network,” said the Üvionn, “you have claimed control over every memory-sphere. I must assume you would do the same here, and I must know why.”

“Leviathan is back,” Kaidan explained, “trying to take control of a species that was devastated by our war with the Reapers. It had gotten ahold of the vast majority of their planet’s population. Now, I am actively trying to reverse the orbs’ effects. I don’t want to fight you. Another species I encountered earlier agreed to let me pass. Give me control of this space so I can undo the damage Leviathan has done.”

“That is a cause I would support,” said the Üvionn, drawing the energy out from within his virtual image. “Control is yours.” Kaidan nodded and stepped up to acquire the energy force, giving him control over the sphere.

“Thank you,” said Kaidan.

“I wish you luck,” said the Üvionn. “To export…”

The Üvionn turned and touched the glass window behind him, dissipating and forming a white ring in the air, revealing the next portal.

Major Alenko walked around the desk and stood before the Üvionn. Kaidan offered his hand and the Üvionn shook firmly before he turned and made way for the portal.  
  


* * *

  
“Fourth one down,” Kaidan reported to his squad. “Now moving to final device.”

“50% of Leviathan control has been released,” EDI informed him. “Additionally, the Normandy has been able to continue holding off the disabling effects of the Oculi. Three Oculi have been destroyed.”

“You’ve been on a roll so far, Rocco,” James commented, “but I got a funny feeling this last one will be the toughest.”

“Our preliminary scans suggested it is unique,” EDI affirmed, “all other orbs were connected to this last remaining one, it is more powerful and more far-reaching than the other ones. However, if you can successfully disable it, Leviathan’s control over the population will be eliminated.”

“And if it fails?” asked Miranda.

“Then this will have all been for nothing,” said Liara fearfully, “wouldn’t it?”

“Not entirely,” EDI responded. “Major Alenko has released thousands of batarians from Leviathan’s control. Those lives can be saved, though the planet would remain too dangerous for anyone to remain here. It is likely the council would have them evacuated. It would also be more feasible at this point to confront Leviathan with an armed response, but the ensuing conflict would certainly be very bloody, and perhaps fail altogether at removing the orb and its influence from the batarian homeworld.”

“It all comes down to this,” said Major Alenko.

The Kodiak sped through and above the capital city of Khar’Shan largest nation - Galvett, Khar’Taus. As he piloted the shuttle ahead, Major Alenko viewed the surrounding area through the Kodiak’s scanner. In a word, he’d have called it: “miserable.” It reminded him of his return to London after leaving Earth during the Reaper invasion, only worse - much worse. There were more piles of rubble than buildings still standing, and those buildings were all, in some way, damaged. Only the ladar made any of this visible, otherwise all the smog in the air would have concealed nearly everything to the unassisted eye.

This state of being was perhaps to be expected, Kaidan supposed. Khar’Shan had fallen to the Reapers immediately, and the batarians only followed the invasion with more warfare. It was unlikely they managed much rebuilding over the past year, given the unstable political situation. Whatever this metropolis may have looked like before, the entirety of it had the appearance of a disaster-area. Kaidan could only wonder what psychological effects this environment must have had on the people living there.

Major Alenko was on the lookout for AA guns and alert for homing-missiles locking onto the Kodiak. Though the shuttle’s stealth-drives were engaged, removing it from radar-detection, it could still be spotted by onlookers. If Leviathan was looking through its thralls, it would surely be aware of their presence in the shuttle and perhaps respond with resistance through these pawns, but that was a risk Major Alenko had accepted so as to not let Chairman Makyrs get away from him.

While piloting, Major Alenko felt his mental extension within virtual-space reach the end-point of Leviathan’s network.  
  


* * *

  
In the final orb-sphere, Kaidan found himself standing at a station suspended out in space. He looked out and saw an exceptionally starry expanse before him, where the constellations formed elaborate patterns he could not believe were mere coincidence, wondering if the sphere he was in now was a representation of a different galaxy altogether. At this point, nothing surprised him anymore. Perhaps Leviathan reached Andromeda, or actually originated from there, or something else crazy.

However different it looked from the outer-space he recognized, however, he knew it was still outer-space. Kaidan then examined the platform on which he stood. It looked like some sort of transport depot, completely sterile-white in color with backlighting that made it radiate. There was this shuttle that came by and docked next to the platform, opening the side doors for passengers to board. It actually looked more like a tram, but it was spacecraft, so technically, it would still be considered a ‘shuttle’ based on Alliance’s classification system. It was empty inside. However, Kaidan suspected this would lead him somewhere close to the controlling entity of this sphere. He hopped in and the shuttle sped away. Kaidan knew what FTL flight felt like. This tiny thing hit those speeds just about immediately. In fact, it actually felt a bit faster. About 20 seconds later, however, the tram began to deaccelerate.

Peering out a window, Kaidan got a closer look at this virtual world. Now he understood what he had seen earlier - those were not stars or constellations, they were cities! Grand, bustling, magnificent cities in the sky that lit up and decorated space itself. At the sight of it, Kaidan had all sorts of questions on his mind - mainly, how was it possible? Perhaps building over asteroids, using fusion torches or mass-effect fields to keep them suspended. What about planets - those are still around, right? What could have driven them to create these cities - overpopulation? Socio-political causes? Who ever looked out into the skies and thought, ‘we should create cities up there’ - ?

As he pondered, the shuttle slowed to an eventual stop on one of these small cities. Perhaps he was about to get the answers. Kaidan stepped out and took in the view. This small sky-city had towers of all different shapes - some he would not have believed possible - with several floors that revolved around their axes, the most elaborate and active of which stood in the center, towering over the rest. That, Kaidan decided, was where he was headed.

When he made it over, Kaidan found no door leading inside, only some large machine shaped like the lifepods they had on the Normandy, only less bulky. Getting inside, Kaidan found that this thing was an elevator, of sorts, where he could dial in the level where he intended to go. Before he could attempt to enter a number, a synthesized computer voice chimed in.

“Welcome, guest. You are requested at level 545. Transferring you now…”

Before Kaidan could even react (545 stories?? he thought), this elevator-like machine had automatically exported him to the 545th level of this grand edifice in an effect very similar to the kinetic walkways he traveled along in the Üvionns’ world. There, he found himself at what seemed to be the top floor of the building. This level was round, dimly lit and mostly empty, with very archaic style. It reminded him of the inside of a cathedral. Then he noticed light emerge from the darkest end of the room, behind him, revealing the presence of another in the room (which, frankly, spooked him a bit). An alien, sitting at a fancy, elevated arm-chair staring down at him. A ruler, Kaidan speculated, this being its throne room?! And there was something oddly familiar about this alien.

Then it hit him: the Üvionns’ enemy!! Its physical form was a perfect match with the shadowy silhouette image that had flashed before him several times during the Üvionn’s virtual cinematic of their past: very tall and gangly frame, four long arms, horns on their heads. Its skin was dark, teal in color. Its face was closer to human than any of the previous species, as well, but with sharper, more elongated features and bone structure. It even appeared to possess a tail.

“So you know who I am, then,” said the alien, in a low, grave, and seemingly feminine voice.

“Yes, I am a female member of My species, not just an alien who sounds female to your understanding - though, an individual that can differentiate between their narrow perceptions and the reality is a very welcome sight,” it said, clearly reading Kaidan’s mind freely. “And yes, I have the power to read your passing thoughts, along with a great many other abilities that made Us the apex race of our time.”

“You wonder of the race I belong to? One of greater relevance to your world than you realize. I am a memory of a people once called ‘The Nazara.’ You wish to hear Our story, as you have of the others. I can…”

Kaidan was planning to interject, then wondered why this Nazara suddenly stopped.

“... you can… ?” he responded, confused, continuing her last statement.

“You wished to get a word in,” said the Nazara.

“It just feels, er… rude, to me, doing what you’re doing,” Kaidan explained. “Reading my thoughts, and, talking over them. It may be something your people were used to, but I am not.”

The Nazara cackled. “And normally, such displays of equity were not important to Us,” she responded. “But, given your actions within the network and what your presence here represents, I make the exception warranted by a worthy opponent. I suppose it would also be a fitting place to begin telling you Our story…”

“This ability to read others was indeed an intrinsic part of Us,” began the Nazara, rising from her throne and circling the room as she spoke. “We were not born with it naturally, but engineered the ability and passed it to the rest of Our species over time. It would become as simple to Us as breathing! It was this power, along with Our intelligence, strength, and a great many other superior attributes that made Us the apex of all life in our time. We were resented by the others then, just as you resent now. We cared not, however, for they were all beneath Us and thusly irrelevant. Such was the privilege of being an unmatched galactic superpower.”

Nazara stopped her pace. “We built and accomplished great things. We believed our society was destined to last until the end of time, if We would not find some way to transcend even time itself. Alas, the loathsome Intelligence struck again.” Nazara now walked towards him.

“One time,” she recalled, “We were allies: Our species, The Intelligence, the Üvionns, and many others races. The Intelligence showed us younger species how Leviathan’s control held us back from learning, developing, and realizing greatness of our own. All of us united behind The Intelligence to fight for a future independent of its influence, and triumphed, then free to build our own worlds. The future held very different things for us newly-freed species of the galaxy. Only We truly thrived. After successful conquest of the Üvionns, We were in a class by Ourselves in the world. However, that was also when We became the enemy of The Intelligence. The machine had only had one goal in its pitiable existence: to facilitate some manner of synergy between the organic and machines. In the time Leviathan had fallen, many species came into conflict with the machines they created. Some died out because of it. And then, there were two exceptions: the Üvionns, and Us.”

“The Üvionns were the first organic race that displayed widespread acceptance of machine life and rarely quarreled with them. The Intelligence prized them, believing they would create the society it believed ideal: one of bio-synthetic synergy. Yet We were superior yet. With the mental abilities We developed, machine life was yet another realm beneath Us. Our conquest of the Üvionns proved this by destroying the very foundations their society was built on: machines. The Intelligence was angered by this. Believing that We had become what Leviathan once was, it gathered allies in secret, and led them in revolt against Us. It failed. The rest of the galaxy posed no challenge to Us, even with the backing of The Intelligence. It retried several more times, and failed in all attempts. Soon, there were few left in the galaxy to challenge Us. So it orchestrated Our downfall another way…”

Kaidan raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. Nazara stood before him, situating herself uncomfortably close to him. In truth, the alien rubbed him entirely the wrong way. It was cocky, to nauseating levels, sounding all too pleased to recount the tale of its species’ downfall. Whenever she referred to her race, the word almost seemed to pang against him, as if she gave it emphasis without her voice. Worse yet was her ability to read his thoughts. How to filter your own thoughts when you think faster than you can… think?? Kaidan was quickly realizing how a species like this one would be problematic, at best.

Staring him down with an apparent smirk, she continued. “The Intelligence engineered what you know as ‘indoctrination.’ After feverish search and preparation, The Intelligence found four elite operatives that, with its help, were able to find and infiltrate the dwelling of Our species’ Master Lord. They confronted him, and rather than simply assassinate their target, the Master Lord was then indoctrinated. Through the Master Lord, The Intelligence then killed the four agents it sent after the target, as they had agreed upon earlier. In effect, it appeared to the Master Lord’s close confidants that the incident was but a failed assassination attempt.”

“With that, The Intelligence then employed the Master Lord as a saboteur, quietly wreaking havoc upon Our world from the inside. After some time passed and great chaos ensued, The Intelligence struck when We were weak, this time succeeding in the rebellion it staged. However, The Intelligence would not kill Our species. It could not intentionally contribute to the destruction of any organic species, due to its programming. So we were reduced to a small number, and ultimately, harvested. Ours became the second reaper, and an important one - its vanguard. As with the others it would create, Our reaper would be named after Our species, Nazara. Your cycle would come to know it as ‘Sovereign.’”

Though Kaidan expressed little outwardly reaction, this revelation had the impact to him of a bomb dropping. Major Alenko remembered his days fighting Sovereign with Shepard like it was just yesterday. After Harbinger, Sovereign was the next most prominent figure among the Reapers - perhaps the only other one, at that rate. Harbinger’s story was learned shortly after the war had ended. Sovereign, however, had been destroyed years ago. Its existence was wrapped in mystery. No other Guardians had any knowledge of its original species or their story, speculating that their harvest took place during “a gap” between Harbinger’s and the true beginning of the cycles. Now, it all made sense.

“The Intelligence would soon resolve to carry out its systematic harvesting of all developed organic sapient species indefinitely,” said Nazara, now stepping aside, “concluding that organics were either too powerless to save themselves from hyper-advancement and eventual conflict with their machines, or would become too powerful and only perpetrate further chaos. It tried to replicate the unique mental facilities that We and Leviathan once had into lesser organic species, only to find that they would experience great difficulties adapting them and would ruin themselves. Whenever the organics engineered it for themselves, they would turn their abilities to purposes it found undesirable. So the cycles began. The Intelligence saw no other way.”

“… Until the Crucible,” Kaidan replied.

“Leviathan engineered it to bring balance to the Catalyst’s dilemma of achieving synergy,” explained Nazara. “It was designed such that it required diverse physical and mental abilities from sufficiently-advanced species to contribute to its construction. Leviathan hoped that, in effect, it would reflect the evolution of organic life into one more cooperative entity that organics never were in Our time or theirs, and that the Crucible would ultimately become the achievement of a truly egalitarian society. If so, it would achieve the bio-synthetic synergy desired for all involved, would not lead organic life to tear itself apart upon acquiring it, and would not be used by organic life to undesirable ends.”

“I get the sense you do not buy into any of that yourself, though,” Kaidan commented.

“The Intelligence was simply an extension of Leviathan,” said Nazara. “Its type had their own concept of an ideal state of nature. Ours was different than theirs, and yours is different from either. Our race, your people, and Leviathan all have had different experiences that shaped our views.”

“So how did your experience with The Intelligence shape yours?” Kaidan asked Nazara. “Do you agree with what The Intelligence thought of you, that your species was too tyrannical to live?”

“Tyrannical?” Nazara responded. “We never said anything such thing…”

“You were too… something bad, in The Intelligence’s opinion for it to decide you needed to be wiped out.”

“And what you took away was tyranny,” Nazara pointed out. “Regardless what we think, it is clear what you believe. You believe The Intelligence was right to end us, for our tyranny.”

Kaidan, growing irritated by the alien’s proud superiority and mental-tricks, swallowed and responded, “I do. But I was asking you… because you do not seem all that bothered about the genocide of your entire species, nor very impressed with what our society accomplished. It makes me wonder if you agree with The Intelligence. And, if so, why you are still so smug and superior, as if you would go back and do things all the same way if you could.”

“We were,” Nazara confirmed, “by a certain point-of-view, tyrants. It makes sense that The Intelligence would come to see Us as such. And yes, if given the chance, We would do it all the same way We did before.”

“Even when you believe you were right to be considered galactic tyrants?” responded an appalled Kaidan.

“It is a state of existence you cannot begin to understand,” Nazara replied, “one that rendered all problems beneath it into trivialities. To be part of that world was gratifying, and incomparable to anything else. I cannot make you understand, but it is better that way. I thrive off of the imbalance at hand. You struggle to make sense of My being, while I can read you from within and without.”

“Actually,” said Kaidan, “I think I understand just fine.”

“Ah,” said Nazara, responding to his next thought. “I see. You understand Us to be corrupt and arrogant beings, drunk with power. You believe Us selfish, preferring we maintain Our place in the world as kings over the benefit of everybody else, just like Leviathan - the threat you seek to eliminate - even after being shown a better way: peaceful coexistence and cooperation. You believe beings such as Ourselves are part of the problem, that We are a worse problem than Balthynon, a people that would willingly support the dominance of another species.”

“… And I am 100% right about it, too, aren’t I?”

Nazara, for once, had fallen silent. Though the smirk soon returned to her face, the look in her eyes had become much more severe.

“I understand now how you have come so far, even against the mighty Leviathan. You are clever. That leads Me to your true purpose for being here. You want to take control of Our realm, to turn this tide back against Leviathan. I admire the spirit of your intent, but We have never been given to yield to a lesser being. If you are to have control, you must best Me for the right.”

“About time,” Major Alenko murmured, drawing his Lancer. Nazara, too, drew its own weapon. It was a large, boxy-looking gun akin to a cannon.

Nazara fired off the first shot: a missile that homed in on Kaidan’s position bypassing his shields as it hit. Kaidan took damage, and felt himself lose some 32% of his connection to the virtual-space. Shortly after firing from her lower-left arm, Nazara’s upper appendages promptly loaded the weapon with another missile and fired, but Kaidan was prepared this time with a jamming application on his omnitool. Major Alenko all but counted on his jammer to send the missile flying off into another direction, but the missile was unaffected and managed to hit him again anyway. -64% now, dangerously close to having his connection to the virtual-space terminated.

“Clever again,” Nazara commented, “using your device to disrupt the missile’s targeting, but unlike the lesser races of Our time, My kind knew better to rely on the flawed nature of machines to function independently.” Kaidan was confused. “These missiles are guided by the power of mind itself. No machine can counter that.”

Then an idea occurred to Kaidan that he felt silly for not thinking about sooner. However Nazara was reading him had to be with indoctrination-like signals that he could actively keep out. Inspirited, Major Alenko ran his anti-indoctrination application.

“Haha! You will have to do better than that,” remarked Nazara upon activation of the app. Kaidan was not sure if he should believe that. If she could read him, that means she knew what he had just done. Implying that the device was not working could merely have been a bluff, and one that he could test.

Kaidan brought up his Lancer and aimed down Nazara, who readily activated something akin to omniblades at all four arms. When he unleashed a barrage of rifle bullets upon Nazara, she calmly warded off all the bullets, blocking his shots with her omniblades. Frustrated, Major Alenko then opted to use Reave on his target, an effect that could not be evaded. Just before he could cast it, however, Nazara erected some sort of a spherical barrier - likely biotic - around herself that negated the effect. In shock, Major Alenko’s jaw dropped, lowering his weapon a bit.

Nazara cackled yet again, this time more insufferable than the last. “You’re absolutely right. How does one stop an enemy that knows your every move??”

Nazara fired another missile. Kaidan this time used his biotics to try to redirect it, but he could feel Nazara trying to push back against him, likely with her mental powers. Eventually, the missile gave out from their combined forces pushing against it, exploding mid-air. His biotics were not quite as powerful as the mental forces she employed. He wondered if he could not direct those missiles to explode close enough to her that she would take damage. To do that, he reasoned, he would need to make them explode close to her, and could perhaps only accomplish that by standing nearby, likely taking some of the damage as a result. That led him to wonder what would happen if they both died in this fight. Kaidan’s connection to the virtual-space would be lost, yes, but so would Leviathan’s control of the last remaining orb.

Nazara snarled. “You dare not!” Kaidan’s mere thought had unnerved her. He must have been on to something.

In what seemed like a panicked response, Nazara erected some sort of barrier around herself, but appeared to be charging up the biotic power of the barrier itself while in this defensive position. Nazara appeared to be priming a massive biotic attack. Kaidan had no idea what to expect, but just before she unleashed this power, he knelt down and similarly shielded himself from the damage with a protective biotic sphere of his own. Then he looked up and witnessed the awe-inspiring result Nazara’s attempted biotic attack.

It appeared that Nazara expended her biotics into countless unstable mass-effect fields that filled the room like a blizzard or torrential rain, all centered around a vortex of dark-energy that drew everything in akin to a biotic Singularity. Kaidan felt these fields coming down on him, breaking down his barriers, when another idea came to him. Without deliberating, Kaidan expelled all the biotic power he could muster out of his body, too quickly for Nazara to preemptively respond adequately. In effect, this detonated Nazara’s biotic hurricane, creating an improvised explosion that just about vaporized everything in its path.

Nazara was finished, torn apart by the blast. Kaidan, however, had survived - his biotic barrier having created an unaffected center in the room, like an eye of a hurricane.

That was it. Though only ashes remained of Nazara, its disintegrated corpse left behind that same force of energy that yielded control of a given memory-sphere. Kaidan touched it, acquiring control of this realm. With that, he disabled the orb’s control-signals. It made him wonder what effect these signals must have had before he severed them whilst Leviathan was no longer the master of the device. Did this mean that he now held the power to use these orbs for mass-enthrallment? The mere thought of that sent a chill down his spine. That was power he never dared to hold (and all the more reason to disable the orbs’ controlling effects).

Kaidan then felt something beneath him, like the ground had shifted, and then came a reverberation as though something had ‘touched’ the entire sphere. Before him, four new portals appeared around the room. It took a moment before Kaidan realized their purpose, but then it hit him: they led back to the previous virtual realms in this network. EDI did say that all other orbs were connected to this one.

Now what? His work here was done; he could maintain this connection and stay here while the ‘real’ him back in ‘real’ space would carry out the mission as normal. What to do in a virtual realm like this where he was a visitor - explore, perhaps? Create something of his own? While curious and intrigued by the possibilities, Kaidan decided he could come back again later if he wished. Right now, he’d had his fill of the virtual world.

How to leave, though? With Harmonics, you just thought to disconnect yourself and it was done. Kaidan gave it a try, and saw something appear before him. It was… a rip, by the looks of it. It looked like a tear in the fabric of this realm. Was this his doing? Maybe, since uploading to this realm required Harmonic power, he needed to channel similar amounts of power to depart from it entirely. Kaidan channeled his Harmonics through this rip in the air, only to see it grow larger. That was it - this was actually a nexus-point! Looking through the rip, he could see real-space again, through what his eyes were seeing in real time. And by channeling Harmonics though it, this part of his mind was leaving the dimension and returning to the ‘real’ world.

Kaidan felt his hold over the virtual realm slowly fade away…  
  


* * *

  
In his mind, Chairman Makyrs saw projected visions of the future through Leviathan as he stood in the capital building main hall, which was crowded with fellow batarian faithful that served to protect him from an outside threat. Someone sent by the Council had arrived to apprehend him, according to his master, but Leviathan took care of the intruder. That was the power of his new lord. Nothing was stronger, more powerful, or more cunning than master Leviathan. As fleets from the outside approached Khar’Shan to apprehend them, Leviathan would turn their armies and navies against each other. What remained would serve the master, and just beneath him, the batarians would be their new Balthynons - the most prized and privileged of Leviathan’s faithful.

It was all a matter of time, waiting, just as Leviathan waited for an amount of time no organic could comprehend to reclaim its place in the cosmos. And now, Makyrs could see it just as Leviathan did. Under his master’s thrall, time was an illusion. There was no truth in it, there was only Leviathan, all else beneath it.

And in an instant, the effects vanished completely. Just as Leviathan left his mind, Makyrs felt a sensation of extreme cold overtake him as he fell into shock. All manner of confusion filled him as thoughts raced through his head. What happened? Where was his master? How could he leave now? Why??

The chairman attempted to get back on his feet, but fumbled and hit the ground again. His body was still shaking. His brethren, too, were in a frenzy, unlike the connected, harmonious state they were all in just moments ago.

In the midst of the chaos, a human in Alliance armor emerged from the crowd and stood before him, with other alien henchmen at his side. Then, he understood the meaning of it all.

His master had failed him.  
  


* * *

  
“Chairman Makyrs,” said Major Alenko, outfitting kinetic handcuffs around the batarian leader, “you are under arrest by the Citadel Council for violation of galactic statute 853:4366. Your actions endangered everyone in your charge and put the entire galaxy at risk. This may not be council space, but your party’s transgressions here have clear implications beyond Khar’Shan. You will answer for this.”

Makyrs looked up at him, dazed and confused, offering no resistance. Major Alenko ushered him along, walking out of the city’s capital building through crowds of citizens similarly recovering their minds from the daze of enthrallment. They were generally in a better state than Makyrs, perhaps due to having suffered relatively less exposure to Leviathan’s mental corruption.

As Kaidan walked along with Chairman Makyrs handcuffed, the reality began to sink in. It felt like only moments ago that the batarian homeworld and its people seemed a lost cause to a new galactic menace. But now, he had just out-maneuvered Leviathan, and in so doing, saved the planet from its influence and halted the advancement of a clear hostile threat.

What was even more exciting than this moment, however, was the information-return he experienced from virtual-space when he terminated his connection to Leviathan’s orb network. Where he was previously in the dark, Major Alenko now became aware of what took place in the virtual-space. Next to his exploits in the other dimension, holding the disgraced League chairman in his grasp felt insignificant.

No words were spoken on the long walk back to the shuttle. With their captive, the squad boarded the Kodiak, which lifted off the ground again and made way via autopilot for pickup aboard the Normandy.

“You did it, Kaidan,” said an approving Miranda back on the shuttle, breaking the silence in the most rewarding way. “We’ve won.”

“Damn straight!” James interjected.

Meanwhile, Kaidan could barely contain his excitement over sharing what he had just learned a few moments ago. “Guys, what happened with me and the orbs in virtual-space - I can make sense of it now! The memories were of entire, ancient worlds and species that came to life around me. I explored them, discovered so much information about Leviathan, the Intelligence and the Reapers, among other things… it was so incredible!!”

“That is very different than any previously reported experiences with virtual-space,” EDI commented.

“Yeah,” said Kaidan. “The last thing I remember is disconnecting from the fifth and final memory using Harmonic power. That part of my mind returned to me, and then I learned about everything that happened on the other end, like all the experiences just got downloaded into my brain.”

“Interesting,” Miranda commented. “The Alliance would no doubt want to find out more.”

“Eh,” James grunted, “forget this weird, techy stuff. We just saved this planet, and pretty much saved the batarians’ collective ass. I say we find a place out here and grab some drinks - celebrate this victory!”

“No,” Kaidan responded dismissively. “We’re going back to the ship, and I’m retiring to my bed - no sleep since we hit League HQ.”

“Agreed,” said Liara, Ninju, and Miranda.

James sighed. “… understood.”  
  


* * *

  
Admiral Hackett’s holographic blue image over the Normandy QEC showed him holding a fist firmly against his lips. “Leviathan?” he responded, removing his hand.

“Councilor Osoba mentioned that the Alliance was onto something about them,” said Kaidan.

“We had recovered an artifact,” Hackett recalled, “an orb like your team described, but the project was sabotaged from the inside and folded before we could gather any hard data. We thought the orbs were just relics. What you’ve discovered on Khar’Shan, though? This is big.”

“Just when we thought we were safe from big, galaxy-consuming monsters,” Kaidan commented.

“There’s always a bigger fish, Major,” said Hackett. “It’s why the Alliance is still around even after stopping the greatest threat our people had ever seen. Our job is to stay prepared for whatever challenges we come across next. But I don’t think I need to tell you that. You accomplished one hell of a victory by releasing that Leviathan’s control over the planet. The threat is still out there, and the Alliance will not sleep on it, but you’ve made the situation a hell of a lot less severe than it looked before.”

“And I will appeal to the Council,” said Major Alenko. “They need to keep the tabs on this Leviathan, and help the batarian people recover so we can get their cooperation in the future.”

“We’ll take a look at the rest of your report,” added Hackett. “Leviathan is one thing, this ‘full upload’ you pulled off into the virtual-space, the orbs, the data you gathered off of them - you’ve given us a lot to chew on.”

“There is no shortage of strange new discoveries to explore in this world,” said Kaidan.

“And as they say,” Hackett replied, “knowing is half the battle; it is in our best interest to better understand what’s around us.”

“Nothing more, sir.”

“Congrats again on your first high-profile Spectre operation and mission success. Hackett out.”

Kaidan stepped out of the QEC, where Miranda was standing in wait, alone.

“Kaidan,” she said. “I’ve spoken with Admiral Hackett recently and he has tasked me with something interesting. However, I was also hoping to get your support with it as well.”

“What’s this about?” asked Kaidan.

“It would be easier to show it you,” she explained. “When we get back, I-” Over the intercom, a frantic Liara interrupted them.

“Major Alenko to the med-bay, at once please! Major Alenko to the med-bay!!”

Kaidan’s eyes widened. “Must be about Javik, come on!” With that, Major Alenko and Miranda stormed out of the war-room.  
  


* * *

  
Major Alenko and Miranda arrived in the med-bay to see the rest of the squad huddled around Javik’s bed. Liara turned to him immediately and reported.

“Major, Javik’s heart-rate and brain-activity suddenly shot up to dangerous levels. Dr. Chakwas administered some medicine to help, but her supply is limited and only few are safe for Prothean biology per EDI, and it seems he reacted poorly to the last dose. Now, we can only-”

“Patient is opening his eyes,” EDI announced over, “reacting to outside stimuli.”

“He’s waking up!” Jack exclaimed.

“By the goddess…” Liara gasped.

Groggy, Javik turned his head around, looking and reaching his hand out.

“Be still,” Liara told him, gently holding his arm back. “Don’t move around too much.”

“Is this?” Javik muttered, seemingly distraught, “... no!”

“This is the med-bay, Javik,” Liara told him, “on the Normandy. You’re safe now.”

“No,” Javik gasped, shaking his head a bit. “No!” His body suddenly began radiating the light-green energy of his biotics before a sudden outburst that knocked everyone in the room back on their feet.

“NO!!!”

Javik lifted himself up out of his bed, groaning and wincing from fresh scars and incisions, but largely ignoring the pain as he began barking angrily.

“What have you done?? I was to die on the battlefield, in the midst of a war - where I belonged! Primitives! You took away the glorious death I needed, that I deserved!!”

His biotics still pulsating furiously, Javik growled and stormed out of the med-bay, while the rest of the squad - lying on the floor - looked on in shock.

“… Ass,” said Ninju.


	15. Bonfire

Major Kaidan Alenko stood outside the still-heavily-damaged Khar’Shan capitol building, former headquarters of the late Batarian Hegemony, and now the site where the defunct Batarian People’s League was ousted and the Leviathan threat removed from the planet entirely. There, he was met by a batarian diplomat as scheduled.

“Major!” said he. “I was with the resistance army back on Jaxier. We just made it back from the island. Our people owe you a great debt for making it safe from the Leviathan monster. You had called for a meeting with any remaining leadership among the resistance, but we have none after Saheer’s death. They sent me over as a spokesman for the group.”

“Saheer pledged the rebels’ support to work with the Council to set up a new government in return for our help,” said Kaidan. “We are expecting you to make good on that promise.”

“Absolutely,” said the batarian. “We have nearly cost our people everything with all this continuous violence and bloodshed. At this point, our reservations with your Council do not matter. We need to save ourselves.”

“I’m glad you see the truth of it,” said Major Alenko, activating his omnitool. “I am sending over Citadel access-codes that will allow you to make contact with the Council. Use them. You will receive much-needed support with the rebuilding process. I have asked them to respect your wishes in setting up a new government as well. I am pretty confident they will leave most of it to you, provided you reopen your embassy on the Citadel and comply with galactic law again.”

“Of course,” said the diplomat, “I will have our technicians get our comm-systems back online and make the call straight away.”

“Good,” said Kaidan. “I’ve told the Council already and they will expect hearing from you. That said, we are led to believe that there are some elements who will still take issue with the council and try to resist the arrangement. Just know that I have some contacts here who will be on the lookout for anyone that… threatens the peace.”

“Oh,” remarked the representative, “well… good.”

The batarian turned and walked into the capitol building. Major Alenko tapped his radio.

“Nothing to report?” asked Kaidan.

“Coast is clear,” James confirmed, who was standing atop an edifice two city-blocks away on the lookout with his sniper-rifle. “Didn’t think anyone would be stupid enough to fuck with Major Alenko: the man that stopped Leviathan.”

Kaidan chortled. “EDI, bring in the shuttle.”

“Acknowledged.”

Next, Joker’s voice came in over the radio. “Alright, well if that’s everything, I’ve got a course set for Sol whenever you’re ready, Major,” Joker informed him.

“Not yet, Joker,” Kaidan responded. “One more thing left on my to-do list. Sending over the coordinates to our final destination, now.”  


* * *

  
As Kaidan and the squad boarded the ship, Liara pulled him aside on the bridge.

“Since he recovered, Javik has been alone down in his quarters sulking,” she told him.

“Figures,” said Kaidan. “You want me to talk to him?”

“I want you to be there,” said Liara, her face turning to a slight glare, “but let me do the talking. I have some words for him.”

“… okay,” Kaidan responded.

“Come on,” she said, as the two of them headed for the elevator down to the engineering deck.  


* * *

  
Javik was in his quarters standing at his reflection pool, seething and scowling bitterly. As Liara and Kaidan appeared at cargo-hold door, Javik immediately began to rant.

“You had no reason to save me,” Javik began, “no right to force me to live. I do not belong in your synthetic-infested cycle and want nothing more than to be lef-”

“-Than what,” Liara interjected, “to continue wallowing in misery before you unceremoniously die, forgotten and friendless?? Because you needn’t worry, then. You will get your wish in time.”

“What do I care for your cycle’s primitive company or well wishes?” Javik replied, turning around. “It will not bring back what I’ve lost. It-”

“Well I have news for you, Javik,” Liara responded angrily. “Nothing will. Not these little wars you wage in their name, not even the death you were hoping to get. And I know you care nothing for us lesser, primitive beings. And yet, when you came back to us injured and on the brink of death,” Liara’s eyes welled up and voice began quivering, “we were devastated. All of us! We worried about you like we were about to lose a family member!!”

Liara paused and simmered down a bit. Javik stared back, seemingly at a loss for words. “It was all for nothing though, wasn’t it?” Liara continued. “All of our love and friendship was lost on you. Go on then, leave behind the only people left who care about you. Go pursue whatever mission you are dead set on fulfilling for a lost people. You and the Reapers truly were perfect for each other.”

Liara left the room sobbing while Javik stood speechless. He looked over, then, at Major Alenko.

“I’m with her,” said Kaidan, uncrossing his arms and showing himself out.  
  


* * *

  
Shortly after the shore party returned, Joker mapped out a route to the coordinates provided by Major Alenko and brought the Normandy off the ground - speeding out across the sky to their next destination. Just minutes later, Joker got a visual on the area docking bay and brought the Normandy into descent. It was situated on a coastline and had the look of a harbor.

“We are being hailed by traffic-control from the docking bay,” EDI reported. Joker patched them in.

“SSV Normandy,” Joker announced, “totally not with the Alliance or the Council or anything. Are we cleared to land?”

“We were told to expect your ship, followed by a smartass comment from its pilot,” said a distinctly batarian voice on the other end. “You’re clear.”

“Well,” said Joker with a smirk, “good to know I’m still getting around these days.”

Joker brought the ship down and carefully settled the Normandy in at the gate. Just as it docked, Major Alenko’s voice came in over the intercom.

“Attention: Normandy squad and crew,” said Major Alenko, “over the next 12 hours, you are free to disembark the ship. Consider this ‘shore-leave’ for a successful mission completion. I would like to thank all of you who signed on to help make this success possible. Now go out and take some R&R - you’ve earned it.”

“Alright!” Joker exclaimed from the cockpit, turning his seat around and gingerly wiggling out of it. “C’mon, EDI. Looks like there’s a nice little beach out here. Let’s check it out.”

“I would like that,” EDI happily responded.  


* * *

  
Major Alenko stood at the shoreline in casual attire, taking in the view.

It was a nice spot. The water in their immediate, surrounding area was of a glistening turquoise color. Beneath him, the sand was orangey, a bit coarse and grainy, but warm and relaxing to his uncovered feet. An aromatic scent drifted through the air’s light breeze. Kaidan could not place it, neither was the smell familiar nor the source of it clear to him. A difference in atmosphere, Kaidan supposed, from what he was used to on Earth. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant fragrance. Tall trees little different than those Earth’s beaches stood around, hanging overhead. Large boulders sat around the sand as well, along with massive rocks sitting in the water. Further down, rocky expanses of mountains formed cliffs that hugged the coastline.

“Nice!” said James, walking over and joining up with Kaidan. Slowly, but surely, the rest of the Normandy squad and crew followed and arrived at the beach. “I wonder if Toothbrush can hook us up with some drinks. ‘Heard batarian stuff is pretty damn hard.”

“Already done, LC,” Kaidan informed him.

“Hah! You’re the best, Rocco.”

Kaidan smirked. “So,” he said casually, “Leviathan, …hell of a thing we found. Tactical appraisal, LC?”

James shook his head, staring off at the coast. “Unbelievable. I thought the rachni were the opposite of a horseshoe-up-your-ass.”

“Well, if there was nothing out there making trouble,” Kaidan supposed, “most of us would be out of a job.”

“Right,” said James, chuckling. “That’s one way to look at it. You want my take, though? We kicked that thing in the mouth. Those orb things made it untouchable, and without them, Leviathan lost its teeth -- no more thrall-army, no defense against an incoming fleet. Now we just have to stay alert, get the word out on Leviathan tech, keep the threat contained. Sooner or later, we’ll have to seriously think about going on the offensive.”

“How do you fight something that hides underwater?” Kaidan responded.

“Worse comes to worse,” James replied, “nuke the whole damn planet.”

“That’s a little extreme,” argued Kaidan. “If those planets are habitable for organic life, who’s to say we won’t need them later? Also, for all we know, there are Leviathan that would cooperate with us. That might sound crazy after what we just experienced, but, you truly never know. I’d like to know more about this threat before going that far.”

“No argument here,” said James. “Whatever Leviathan is, we need more intel. It’s bad enough dealing with an enemy that threatens planets, worse when you’re totally in the dark about them and trying to stop it. This mission not only stopped their advance, it will also go a long way in getting answers.”

James looked over at Major Alenko and gave him a firm pat on the back.

“You did good, boss. Anderson, Shepard… they would be proud.”

Major Alenko smiled humbly. “Thanks, James. And you did a lot for me as 2IC.”

“All part of the service,” said James casually.

“I’m gonna go around,” said Kaidan, “get a 1-on-1 with everybody one last time.” James nodded in acknowledgement, staring back out into the distance as Major Alenko walked away. Next, Kaidan spotted Joker lying down comfortably on a sand while EDI stood at his side.

“Why aren’t you relaxing, EDI?” asked Kaidan.

“I do not require rest,” she answered. “Additionally, the sand could damage the joints of my platform, or seep through the open spaces interfere with the circuitry.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing, then,” said Joker. “Nice… warm…  sand…”

“Perhaps you can share the experience with me through Harmonic connection,” EDI suggested.

“You know, EDI,” said Kaidan, “I don’t think I asked you anything yet about your decision to power down a bit. Have you experienced any dreams, again?”

“Yes,” she said, “though, none were quite as intense or memorable as when I experienced near-death. These dreams do not make much sense.”

“Dreams rarely do,” Kaidan assured her.

“I see,” she replied. “When I dream, I feel parts of the ship running, sometimes even those that are offline while I am asleep. I sometimes will feel as though my platform is roaming around somewhere outside the ship - places I have been to, or others very similar. I will imagine having conversations with crewmates, past and present, even deceased. I believe the effect must be created by my consciousness drifting between countless memories in my storage unit, as though forming some sort of a mosaic.”

“That’s an interesting take,” Kaidan commented. “It sounds as though you do like the experience.”

“Yes,” EDI replied. “It is strange, but interesting, and opens my mind to more imaginative and abstract ideas. I find the added perspective to be valuable.”

“One thing, though,” said Kaidan in a more serious tone, “sometimes what you dream about might be a bit unpleasant, even horrifying. You should be ready for that.”

“You are referring to nightmares,” EDI stated. “Yes. I have not experienced any, but I may. Additionally, I am aware that organics sometimes function in their sleep under the influence of their dreams, such as walking and talking. Jeff is always in Harmony with me while I rest, so he can immediately catch me before I do something dangerous in my sleep.”

“I’ll admit,” said Kaidan, “I did not consider that as a potential side-effect, but I am glad you are on top of it.”

“Don’t worry,” said she, “I only forget to vent the hold while reading something truly interesting.”

Kaidan raised an eyebrow quizzically, and then caught on.

“That was a joke?” Kaidan responded.

“It was more effective on Shepard.”

Kaidan grinned. “Well,” said he, “enjoy yourself.”

“I will,” said EDI. “Thank you, Major.” EDI then turned her attention back to Joker. Kaidan looked aside, and moved along. As he walked away, he overheard EDI saying something to Joker. “Yes, I see how the sand is comfortable to your body, although it would be a detriment to my own.”

Javik was crouching down by the water, dipping his fingers inside and pondering. He spoke just as soon as Major Alenko walked up to his side.

“ _Mayjah_ ,” said Javik. “I am told you were successful against our enemy: the creators of the Reapers.”

“Yeah,” Kaidan replied.

“Excellent,” he said. “There is no pit in hell deep enough for the likes of such creatures.”

“I’m just glad to see you join us,” said Kaidan. “You might not feel totally at home in our cycle, but in our eyes, you’re still one of us.”

“As I said,” Javik replied, “it is difficult. War is all I know. It is all I have ever known for many, many years, but what you and the asari have said is true. The entire purpose of our struggle was to have a home to go back to. For now, it matters not if we find ourselves at war again. We should savor the spoils of victory while we can. Some of us have never had the opportunity to enjoy them…”

“… I could not have said it better,” replied a surprised Major Alenko. “And what does that mean for you? What comes next?”

“The asari,” he said, “Liara, said she would like my help to write a book. It will be about my people, and her time with me. I believe it would be valuable. There should be a memory of our people beyond their Reaper, an organic one. I will also return to her side as a mercenary. I am a soldier; I have few other skills to offer. We could, perhaps, examine this new ‘Leviathan’ menace. However, Liara insists on traveling the galaxy in our spare time, saying that I need to see more of the world that I helped save.”

“You deserve some peace,” Kaidan assured him. “You might even enjoy it.”

“I am not sure if it is possible,” said Javik, “but I will try. Thank you, _Mayjah Alenko_.”

Kaidan smiled a bit, gave Javik a pat on the shoulder and moved on. Next, he noticed Ninju, standing well behind the rest of the squad and crew with his omnitool active. Kaidan walked over to him. Along the way he bumped into an incoming Specialist Traynor.

“Our contact came through, Major,” she announced, with a stack of clothing between her hands. “Swimwear for everyone! Batarian make, but they’ll fit humans and asari just as well.”

“Awesome,” said Major Alenko. “Thanks, specialist.”

“You bet.”

Kaidan walked up to Ninju. “Scanning for treasure?” he asked incredulously.

Taking a deep breath, Ninju replied casually, “You truly never know what’s lying right under your nose.”

Major Alenko guffawed. “Point taken.”

“I was unsure about our mission,” said Ninju, with characteristic breaths between his words. “At first I believed it would turn out to be a fool’s errand or a wild goose chase, that nothing would come of it in the end. No, this was something galaxy-shaking. I am glad to have been part of something important again.”

“You’ve grown an impressive legend,” Kaidan commented, “particularly for your people.”

“After a while,” said Ninju, “success can becoming addicting.”

“Hm,” Kaidan murmured, “that can be a good or bad thing.”

“Indeed,” said the volus, “sometimes the best decisions are the things you chose not to do, and those can sometimes be the hardest ones to make.”

Kaidan reflected on that for a moment. “Yeah,” he said. “I hear ya.”

“Also,” said the volus, “what do you intend to do with our prisoner, the League chairman?”

“That’s up to the Council,” Kaidan pointed out, “not me.”

“Yes, but they will ask your advice, will they not?” asked Ninju. “How do you feel they should deal with them?”

Kaidan sighed. “He made a mistake,” Kaidan answered. “Untested alien tech is a serious offense, but the batarians have disregarded Council laws for a long while now anyway. In the end, I really see him more as a victim of the greater threat than a perpetrator of it.”

“Keep in mind,” said Ninju, “this man went after something he believed was a Reaper-killer with interest. What do you think he would have planned to do with that kind of technology?”

“Yeah,” Kaidan responded, “that is pretty damning. But in the end, we will never know, and I am sure any other species would have pursued it just the same. No point in making Chariman Makyrs some kind of example, if you ask me. I will tell them to be lenient. Hell, seeing the guy, he may never regain sanity. That’s punishment enough.”

“Fair enough,” said Ninju. “I was simply curious about how you felt about our enemy. To me, that says a lot about a person.”

With nothing more to say, the two of them fell silent for a few moments.

“Well,” said Kaidan, “so long, Ninju Mats. We hardly knew ye.”

“I am a private person,” said he. “In my field, it serves me well. If you find yourself ever in need of elite assassination skills, however, Major, I would be happy to take the job. Discounted rates are offered to leaders whom I have served with and trust.”

Kaidan nodded in acknowledgment and left Ninju to his device. Walking along, Kaidan noticed Jack’s leather jacket lying in the sand and turned to see her splashing around in the water. Amused, he headed her way.

“Major!” Jack called to him. “You gotta get in here - the water’s real nice right now.”

Kaidan smiled. “I will. Good to see you’re having fun, though.”

Jack swam back to shore and then walked out of the water. “I really did have fun,” she said. “Which, thanks for that. I’m glad you reached out to me when you did. It was a tough time for me after the war ended. I was just wallowing in my misery for a while, and I needed to get out. This helped clear my head, and you were good to me. So… thanks.”

“No thanks necessary,” said Kaidan. “You did a lot for me, and I appreciate what you did. I’ll keep you in mind for the next time I have an assignment like this.”

“Actually,” Jack admitted, “I’m seriously thinking of going back to Grissom Academy, so I will probably not be available.”

“Oh, really?” Kaidan responded. “No, that’s great! I just wasn’t sure if you would want to go back to it, and I would have understood if you didn’t.”

“Yeah,” said Jack, “it’s gonna be bittersweet, going back there again, but so was being on the Normandy. When I was teaching there as an instructor, I felt like I really belonged. I can’t turn back on Kahlee, either. Hell, she of all people understands how tough it was with the war and all.”

“By all accounts,” said Kaidan, “you were a good fit there. I’m glad you’re going back. A lot of Biotics Division soldiers hail from Ascension. It is a valuable program for us.”

“Damn straight,” said Jack. “Gotta make ‘em ready for when the brass throws them into war. I’m glad we stopped this Leviathan threat from getting any bigger. The last thing I want to do is lead another Biotic Company into live combat again. So long as Leviathan is quiet, though. You better keep it that way, Major!”

Kaidan chuckled. “Believe me, I’m with you on that.”

“Good,” said Jack. “You’re alright with me, Major. I don’t meet a lot of people I feel I can trust, but you’re alright.” With that, Jack walked back into the water and enjoyed herself, along with a handful of other Alliance crew that joined in. Kaidan looked on, with a smile, then turned his attention to the remaining teammates he had left to touch base with.

Next would be Liara, who appeared to be collecting seashells of interest to her.

“I see the search for the next Crucible device is underway,” Kaidan quipped.

“Not funny!” Liara responded. “But I suppose it is just like me to spend my time on a beach like this, digging through the sand and collecting things. I can’t be helped, can I?”

Kaidan chuckled. “So, how’s the only remaining member of the original Normandy team - other than Joker?”

“It was good to come home again,” she said. “In fact, I was just thinking. Do you still remember the day I joined you in the mission against Saren?”

“Of course,” said Kaidan.

“As do I,” said Liara, “vividly. Somehow, I knew it was the beginning of something truly life-changing. Now, you are in charge of the Normandy, and I have a network of contacts across the galaxy larger than any other. Isn’t it amazing how far we’ve all come?”

“Absolutely,” said Kaidan empathetically. “But what’s ahead for us?”

“For me,” said Liara, “I have my network to run. I never properly set up again after the war, I just moved what I had to a satellite location while things like transportation and the rebuilding processes were in flux. Now, I need to look ahead, creating a headquarters like what the old Shadow Broker had. Javik will join me. I’ve talked to him, and he’s finally come to his senses. We are going to write a book together, combining all my work and studies of the Protheans with his first-hand knowledge, and the story of his discovery in our cycle.”

“So,” said Kaidan, struggling to contain a smirk. “You and him… ?”

“What?” she responded. “No! Javik is very dear to me, but there is nothing more to it.”

“I was just joking,” said Kaidan, “but you have to admit, you make a cute couple.”

“Think what you like,” said she, crossing her arms. “It’s not happening. Or shall I change the subject to you and Miranda?”

“Heh,” Kaidan replied sheepishly, “yeah, I guess I’m not really in a position to say anything, am I?”

“In any event,” she continued, “my agency must be restored. Especially in the wake of what we discovered on this mission. Information is a powerful weapon. The Council, your Alliance, and others need to be armed going forward.”

“As for you, Major, I have no doubt that your future with the Alliance or whatever else is very bright. You’ve proven yourself a capable soldier and competent leader now. Admiral Hackett and the rest are lucky to have you. James, too.”

“Thanks, Liara. That means a lot.”

“I have so many acquaintances across the galaxy,” said she, “but precious few friends. Thank you for being there.”

“Of course,” said Kaidan. “Anytime.”

On that note, Kaidan continued on to the only remaining teammate he had left to talk to. Like Jack, Miranda was already donned in a swimsuit. Standing just shy of the water, she dipped her toes in as Major Alenko joined her.

“The water is just about perfect,” she told him. “Care to join me?”

“I’d love to,” he said eagerly. “Let me grab a pair of shorts…”  


* * *

  
Emerging from the crew’s improvised men’s changing area that was the backside of a large boulder, Kaidan hustled over to Miranda, who was standing leg-deep in the water awaiting him. The two of them exchanged smiles.

“Shall we?” said Miranda, motioning over. Together they moved deeper into the water.

“So,” said Kaidan. “This was ‘leave for you. Any idea where the Alliance is going to put you next?”

“There were several ambitious rebuilding projects on the table for major cities on Earth when I left,” Miranda replied. “I imagine the Alliance would like some assistance with them. They may have started a few already. That was before the mission, however. Now, there are other plans in motion.”

“You mean what you were talking about earlier?” asked Kaidan.

“Yes,” said Miranda. “Though, I am not exactly sure how to explain it to you just yet. Suffice it to say, it will be a major new development, and one that will be taken very seriously.”

“It’s fine,” said Kaidan. “You can tell me whenever you’re ready; take your time.”

“So what was it like?” she asked him.

“What was what like?”

“Your experience in Leviathan’s memories,” she clarified as the two of them moved buoyantly with the tide.

“That?” said Kaidan. “It was incredible! I saw ancient worlds, from a time predating the Reapers themselves, and ‘representatives’ of the species that inhabited them. Their civilizations were all so fascinating, beyond the realm of imagination. Being there felt no less real than this world does now.”

“Over here, I had no idea what was going on in virtual-space. When that part of my mind came back to me, though, it felt like this big, incredible flashback. In a moment, everything that happened just… came to me, like it was all old news.”

“Wow,” Miranda responded. “And you were required to fight the creatures you encountered?”

“Some let me pass,” said Kaidan. “Others were hostile. Either way, I needed to go through them to take control of the sphere and eliminate Leviathan’s influence.”

“We can learn so much from this,” Miranda declared. “Your upload, this memory-encryption, what you discovered from Leviathan… all of it is ground-breaking.”

“Admiral Hackett said the same,” said Kaidan. “Now that they’re safe, the Alliance wants a closer look at the orbs.”

“It’s an excellent opportunity,” Miranda concurred.

“I saw civilizations that made pre-invasion Thessia look 3rd-world,” said Kaidan, reflecting on the experience, “entire cities in the skies. I wonder if that’s what the future holds someday…”

They swam and chatted on for a while longer until the sun began to set and the air cooled around them. Finally, the two of them emerged from the water together. In all that time, however, there was one matter they had neglected to discuss.

“So what about you and me?” Kaidan asked her candidly.

Dripping wet, she grinned and looked at him. “You tell me,” she said. “That’s perhaps the one thing I have not made any plans for.”

“Well,” said Kaidan, suddenly conscious. “Hmm.” He sighed. “How to say it? …” He could feel himself ready to flush red and could think of no words, but only one response.

“Ah, hell with it!” he finally said.

With that, Kaidan surprised her with a sudden kiss across the lips, which she joined in heartily while grasping the back of his head. This gesture produced quite the reaction from the onlooking squad and crew - mostly drawing cheers. Once out of this hold, Miranda panted a bit, momentarily breathless before beaming and giggling hysterically.

“Dammit, Kaidan!” she finally responded.

Kaidan chuckled, nonchalant. “If you could see yourself right now…” he said, “it was worth it for that alone.”

“You,” she remarked, “you are just full of surprises - the very best kinds of surprises.”

As the frenzied cheering and mania around them died down, Specialist Traynor returned with a couple crewmen at her side, all of them carrying coolers. “Drinks are here, Major!” she announced.

“Now it’s a party!” James declared, hustling out of the water over to grab a bottle with the rest of the crew following his lead.

The sun was setting, and drinks were served. Perfect time to light the firewood, Major Alenko reasoned. Kaidan approached the the stack of firewood he had arranged, activated his omnitool, and traveled an incineration-projectile at it from a safe distance. The blast charred the wood a bit, but did not cause it to catch fire. However, the residual eezo was flammable and allowed Kaidan to ignite the wood arrangement with a small spare match.

“There it is,” he said as Miranda joined him at his side. “Always wanted to do one of these.”

Miranda said nothing, simply smiling while taking his hand and resting her head against his shoulder.  


* * *

  
Jack was sitting alongside James, chatting and having a drink while taking in the warmth of the burning fire against the cool night wind when she spotted two small creatures that had covertly situated themselves closeby to to see what was going on. Jack got up, took a closer look and then quickly realized what they were - two small batarian children.

“Look,” she exclaimed, “James!”

Startled, the children froze, unsure whether or not to run away. Jack took a few more steps towards them, knelt down and clapped her hands twice, beckoning to them. With initial hesitation, the two small batarians came running over to her joyously. Both of them met Jack in her arms, and she laughed heartily as she held them.

“Look, James. They’re kids! Little batarian kiddos! Aren’t they so cute??”

“Heh,” James snorted, standing at her side. “They don’t stay cute.” Jack slugged him on the knee.

“… I want one,” she declared.

“Anything for you, Jack,” he said warmly, “… anything but _that_ !”  
  


* * *

  
Ninju the volus looked around the beach and saw couples everywhere: Kaidan and Miranda, James and Jack, Javik and Liara, EDI and Joker. It occurred to him that he was one of the only people there who was by himself.

Casually, he walked up to Specialist Traynor.

“Ahem,” he said, proverbially clearing his throat before actually inhaling deeply. “There’s love in the air. You look, … not bad, for your species. Erm, any chance we could-”

Before he could finish, Specialist Traynor walked away, leaving him behind while he looked on in cold silence.


	16. Epilogue: Coming Into Their Own

The lights came on in an abandoned facility marked with the Cerberus insignia on the walls as Miranda and Kaidan entered together from the shuttle bay. Miranda found a computer terminal and gained access.

“As you can see,” said Miranda, “the Alliance has not really done much with the place.”

“We’re a long way from home,” Kaidan pointed out. “Relief and recovery for Earth and our major colony-worlds is still priority.”

“As it should be,” Miranda concurred, “and will likely continue to be for a few more years. In fact, I am glad for this opportunity.”

“Opportunity?” Kaidan responded, crossing his arms with a wry smile. “Uh, ohhh…”

“Oh stop it, you!”

“Alright,” said Kaidan. “Hit me.”

“By the time my business with Cerberus and the Illusive Man had concluded,” Miranda explained, “the Crucible was nearly finished, and the fleet Shepard had assembled was ready to make its final push over Earth. I pointed the Alliance to facilities such as this one and other locations where they could recover Cerberus assets. They grabbed whatever they could carry out as they made last-minute preparations for the battle. Since the war ended, they’ve been too busy and shorthanded to make use of these facilities…”

“I sense a ‘until now’ coming,” Kaidan responded.

“In this day-and-age,” Miranda began, “there is so much out there for all of us to uncover and explore. The Alliance wants humanity to lead the way and set an example for the rest of the galaxy, not to stay behind and watch the rest of the world pass us by, but the head brass all realize that we are not capable of doing that the way the organization is built right now. Simply put, the Alliance is too big and slow-moving: too many rules, regulations, rank-and-file personnel, large divisions and over-specialized units.”

“I’ve talked it over with Admiral Hackett and others,” Miranda continued. “We came to an agreement over what must be done, and I have been tasked with the project of creating this solution. Our plan: to form an extension that does what the rest of our organization cannot. An arm of the Alliance, with greater freedom than any other division, and formed entirely of the very best we have to offer. Once, there was Cerberus, but they broke off and eventually lost their way. Then, there were the Corsairs, but they were later buried in red-tape and grew obsolete. In all of our past attempts to accomplish this goal, mistakes were made, but more important are the lessons we learned. Now, the Alliance looks to make use of this knowledge and seeks to begin anew. And for that, Kaidan, I would like your help.”

“… I see,” Kaidan responded.

“You do not sound very convinced,” Miranda pointed out. “As I recall, you did not think much of the idea rebuild Cerberus.”

“Huh? No, it’s not that. I just… I’m not exactly sure what I have to offer you, for something like this?”

“Actually,” said Miranda, “You would be perfect for what I have in mind.”

“Oh?” Kaidan responded, raising an eyebrow.

“We need ‘faces,’” Miranda explained, “figures. Individuals that embody the virtues we stand for and inspire. For a time, that figure for Cerberus was Shepard. While the Illusive Man pulled strings and gave us direction, Shepard led and got results. That’s what I see in you, Kaidan: someone who I- … who we can depend on to be both efficient and professional in carrying out our mission.”

“That’s,” Kaidan responded, surprised a bit, “… very flattering. ‘Not really sure if I can really be mentioned in the same breath as Shepard, but-”

“I think you’re closer to him than you realize,” Miranda stated. “You did the impossible on the batarian homeworld, facing an enemy as large as the Reapers themselves.”

“I suppose,” Kaidan responded, abashed, scratching the back of his neck.

“Your star is shining,” Miranda insisted, “and I want that to be part of this new group.”

“You talked about ‘lessons learned’ from Cerberus and the Corsairs,” said Kaidan. “What, exactly, are you going to do differently?”

“Cerberus and the Corsairs were on opposite ends of the same spectrum,” Miranda replied. “Cerberus was given free reign, but was not selective of the talent it recruited. While they did good work from time to time, they also showed ineptitude at others due to a lack of qualified personnel and poor oversight. The Corsairs recruited from promising soldiers and specialists, but quickly burdened them with red-tape and endless bureaucracy in fear of seeing them follow the path of Cerberus.”

“This will be different. We will select the brightest, most capable and proven individuals we have and give them the honor of joining this initiative. Some oversight will exist, but for the most part, we will trust in our people to carry out the tasks given to them in an effective and professional manner.”

“Sounds ambitious,” said Kaidan, “Gotta admit, the way you talk about it gets me a little excited.”

“That’s the idea,” Miranda stated, grinning.

“Alright,” said Kaidan, “I’m in. If anyone can make this thing work, Miranda, it’s you.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Not without help. That was one of the most valuable lessons I learned from my time with Shepard -- even he couldn’t do it alone.”

“You’ll have me,” Kaidan declared. “Whatever you from me, Miranda, I’ll give my very best. Count on it.”

Miranda’s smile widened. “Good,” she said. “There’s truly no one else I would rather be doing this with.” Kaidan smiled back, looking off, lost in her eyes. Slowly, Miranda turned back to the terminal in front of her.

“Branding,” she said, getting back to business. “How we present ourselves is important. The name ‘Cerberus’ won’t do, for obvious reasons. We’ll have to come up with another one. I was thinking of ‘Phoenix,’ something that rises from the ashes into a magnificent new creature.”

“Cliched,” Kaidan argued. “Also, a bit aggressive-sounding where it shouldn’t be. You remember those Cerberus operatives with biotic lashes we had to face during the war?”

“Oh god,” Miranda said, holding a hand up against her forehead. “Don’t remind me.”

“I can think of another mythical creature whose name might fit, though,” said Kaidan: “the Halcyon. A word synonymous with peace, harmony. The Halcyon is a majestic bird that legend states would calm the seas during high-tide, making the harsh waters safe for all, and would nest during the winters before resurfacing again…. I dunno, what do you think?”

“Wow,” Miranda remarked. “That’s perfect, Kaidan. Simply perfect.”

Smiling, Miranda returned to the computer terminal in front of her. Kaidan, meanwhile, placed his hands around her waist and whispered into her ear.

“Speaking of perfect,” he said. Pressing his lips and nose against them, Kaidan deftly stimulated the erogenous zones on her neck. Miranda giggled a bit and gasped as he hit the spots. She then turned around and Kaidan grabbed her at the bottom, carrying her out of the room while she giggling on.

“Where to, Major Alenko??”

“The docking bay, Miss Lawson,” said Kaidan, “because the only thing better than seeing you naked is seeing you naked, under the stars…”  
  


* * *

  
\-- With major crisis averted over **Khar’Shan** , The Council has since sent aid in the form of relief and recovery teams to the batarian homeworld. With their help, **the batarians** were finally able to set up a safe and stable government. In return, the batarians reopened their embassy on the Citadel, agreeing to bring batarian space under Council jurisdiction and Citadel galactic law. Though their species’ population level has declined to dangerous levels, the batarian have a chance at recovery if they can maintain order and stability.

\-- **Major Kaidan Alenko** was commended for his role in the mission to Khar’Shan by both the Council and Alliance leadership. Kaidan has since been recruiting talented marines to the Cybermarines Division, helping train their abilities, and working with the rest of the Alliance to help utilize these soldiers and their unique skills alongside the rest of their personnel. Major Alenko has also continued his work with Biotics Division, directing its most promising candidates along with those from the Cybermarines to the Halcyon Group, where Major Alenko also moonlights as a project lead and one of Miranda’s most trusted advisers.

\-- **Miranda** formed the Halcyon Group, an elite agency under the Alliance’s banner. Among both outsiders and Halcyon’s inner circle, she is often referred to with the affectionate title “The Illusive Dame,” though only those within the group know her true identity. Upon formation, Halcyon hit the ground running, leading the charge in exploring uncharted space, assisting in the development Harmonic applications and devices, keeping tabs on Leviathan and other potential galactic threats, and carrying out priority missions for the Alliance.

\-- With the Alliance planning an ambitious undertaking to map out uncharted regions of the galaxy, **Commander James Vega** was commissioned by Halcyon with leading various exploration teams and given command of the Normandy SR-2. Pioneering new frontiers across space proves to be a hazardous task, but Commander Vega’s N7 training prepared him well for it.

On a personal note, James won Jack’s affections and the couple now live together on Elysium -- the colony Shepard saved years ago -- close to her work and his. They’ve since had a child, James Shepard, and adopted two - one batarian boy and girl.

  
\-- **Jack** rejoined Grissom Academy to instruct young biotic recruits once again, where she met up again with the lone survivors of Biotic Company, Ensigns Jason Prangley and Jordan Rodriguez, in an emotional reunion. To commemorate their fallen friends, a marble pyramid memorial in their honor was placed in the academy gym with names engraved into the stone. Jack remembers the lives of those she lost in the war every day, and remembers to hold her loved ones close, for there is no telling what tomorrow may bring.

Thankfully, James has had better luck keeping himself alive, coming home at the end of his missions to open arms and a happy (if highly unconventional) family.  
  


\-- After adding his work on the mission against Leviathan to his impressive resumé, the volus billionaire businessman and mercenary hobbyist **Ninju Mats** has tasked his business with developing prototypes to use to counter Leviathan in both space- and ground-combat, recognizing the gravity of the threat and the profit in offering the only such weapons/tech on the market. Between business days, Ninju travels and accepts occasional contracts from the Shadow Broker.

\-- Courtesy the Halcyon Group, a large, state-of-the-art Cruiser was commissioned for **Liara T’Soni**. She has since restarted operations as the galaxy’s most powerful information-broker on the new ship and remains a close ally of the Alliance (and, by extension, the Halcyon Group). Though the information trade industry is not quite as lucrative and influential as it once was, Liara’s agency remains prolific.

\-- **Javik** has again found himself under the employ of Liara, doing some wet work both for his boss and occasionally Halcyon teams with a particular interest in combatting the Leviathan menace. Javik and Liara have also take time off of work together and go traveling when their schedules permit, giving the Prothean time to relax, reflect and appreciate the world he fought to save. Along the way, they have grown close and have become more than friends. A few months after their mission with Major Alenko, Liara told Javik that she was expecting, bringing the Prothean commander to the floor landing faint on his back.

\-- **The Guardians** remain galactic allies, committed to their function of preserving the memory of their individual species, and fulfilling their programming by sharing their knowledge and processing-power with the rest of society. With some exceptions, the Guardians have removed their mass-effect cores and stay planetside, also undergoing slight redesign to create more elegant and less intimidating (sometimes traumatic) appearances blending in seamlessly with their surroundings. Since the war’s end, indoctrination has never resurfaced from the Guardians again (though the ability to counter it is common-knowledge and readily available).

\-- Major Alenko made good on his promise to the Cendriens and Uvionns. The Guardians protect the memories of these lost civilizations on their servers, adding their perspective and helping virtually recreate the civilizations that once were in virtual-space. The memory worlds of the Balthynon, Br’thv’v’fn, and Nazara were also preserved within their collective, even if the memory of their peoples were wiped away.

\-- **The Council** has since expanded and reformed, removing its hierarchal structure altogether and moving the legislation process to comm-servers, where representatives of every species contributes equally, and consensus is reached more quickly. In effect, unity and cooperation has strengthened further between all participating galactic races: **humans, salarians, turians, asari, quarians, geth, krogan, volus, elcor, hanar, drell,** and now batarians ( **vorcha** still developing).

 

* * *

  
The yahg chieftain’s honor-guard of five approached him at his castle throne and presented him an alien relic.

“An artifact,” explained the guard spokesman, channeling its true controller, “of incalculable value.”

The chieftain stared over at it, and held one hand out. “Bring it to me,” he demanded.” Together, they moved forward and brought the orb to their chieftain.

The chieftain took the orb into his hands and examined it carefully.

Suddenly, the lights came on.


End file.
